Iran Threatens Response if US Enters Hormuz After Trump’s ‘Guide Ships’ Pledge

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1328 EAT on Monday 4 May 2026

Iran’s military has warned the United States Navy to stay out of the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump said Washington would “help free up” ships stranded in the strategic waterway.

In a statement on Monday, Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s unified military command, said US forces would be targeted if they entered the strait. He also urged commercial vessels and oil tankers to remain stationary unless they were coordinating their movements with Iranian authorities.

“We warn that any foreign armed forces — especially the aggressive US military — will be targeted if they attempt to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced the launch of a campaign dubbed “Project Freedom,” saying it was initiated at the request of countries whose vessels are stranded in the strait. He described the ships as belonging to “neutral and innocent bystanders.”

“For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these countries that we will guide their ships safely out of these restricted waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without specifying which nations had sought Washington’s assistance.

He added that many of the vessels were running low on food and other essential supplies needed to sustain large crews in safe and sanitary conditions. Trump warned that any interference with the operation would “have to be dealt with forcefully.”

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it would support the effort with 15,000 personnel, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, as well as warships and drones.

“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy, even as we maintain the naval blockade,” Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said in a statement.

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar Atas said any US intervention in the Strait of Hormuz would be viewed by Iran as a violation of the ceasefire that came into effect on April 7.

“The Iranians are quite clear. They are saying they will respond and engage militarily. In such a case, that would mark the end of the ceasefire,” he said.

Iran has been blocking nearly all shipping through the Gulf — except for its own vessels — for more than two months, driving global energy prices higher.

In the United States, petrol prices have climbed to an average of $4.44 per gallon, up from less than $3 before the conflict began, adding pressure to inflation.

President Donald Trump had previously indicated he was comfortable with the status quo of competing restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that the US “siege” was “more effective than bombing.”

However, a US move to ease Iranian restrictions on shipping could disrupt the relative calm that has persisted despite rising tensions in recent weeks.

Harlan Ullman, chairman of the Killowen Group and a former US naval officer, warned that Trump’s latest plan could trigger a dangerous escalation.

“Iran has huge amounts of drones and small craft that could make this very, very difficult,” Ullman told Al Jazeera. “I would hate to see a confrontation where an American warship is hit, because then the Americans will have no other option except to retaliate.”

-Aljazeera

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