ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - US President Donald Trump on Sunday said neutral countries have asked the US to help move their ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, announcing that the process, termed “Project Freedom,” will begin on Monday.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said countries all over the world had reached out to Washington, asking if they can “free up their ships, which are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz.”

“They are merely 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,” he added.

Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway where roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil is shipped, as a means in its war against the US and Israel. In response, the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday said its forces would begin supporting “Project Freedom” under the President’s direction.

“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper said, adding: “US military support to Project Freedom will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members.”

Trump called the mission a “humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran,” adding that his representatives are in “very positive” discussions with Tehran.

Any interference with the mission would be dealt with “forcefully,” he warned.

Hours later, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that “any foreign armed force, especially the US military, will be targeted” if it attempts to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz.

It added that “the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in the hands of the Iranian armed forces, and that any safe navigation will be coordinated with them.”

Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled since a ceasefire took hold in early April, with no clear timeline for when face to-face talks might resume.

On Saturday, Trump said he does not believe Tehran’s latest peace proposal would be acceptable, leaving the possibility of renewed military action against Iran open.

Iran's foreign ministry said on Sunday that the US has responded to Tehran's proposal through Pakistani mediators, adding that the reply is currently under review.