Project Freedom

Status: Active US military escort operation for commercial oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Overview

Project Freedom is the codename for the US military operation announced by President Trump and CENTCOM to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz following Iranian targeting of vessels. It represents the US commitment to keeping Hormuz open despite active hostilities.

Operational Parameters (Updated)

Force Composition

  • Initially: evacuation of two US-associated ships from the Strait
  • Resumed with: autonomous vehicles, aircraft, and drones
  • Area of operation: southern Strait near the Oman coast (outside direct Iranian artillery range from mainland)
  • US has continued to strike Iranian targets around the Strait used to launch drones or facilitate attacks against shipping

Route Configuration (per INTERTANKO Advisory, June 5)

  • Nighttime transit only
  • Navigation lights off (blacked out)
  • AIS disabled
  • Minimized radar use
  • Radio silence
  • Pre-notification to US forces with transit timings and waypoints
  • ~15 vessels/day
  • Coordinated transit windows (not convoys) for inbound/outbound deconfliction

Scale

  • 100M barrels confirmed moving through the Strait as of June 11, 2026
  • 200+ commercial ships helped under the covert operation (Trump claim)
  • ~15 vessels/day using the Omani route

The Project Freedom + STS Integration

Project Freedom enables the overall workaround system:
1. Empty tankers transit the Strait under US military protection → reload in Gulf ports
2. Loaded VLCCs exit Gulf → perform STS transfer off Oman → proceed to market without entering the Strait
3. US military strikes Iranian drone/attack positions around the Strait to protect the transit corridor

Relationship to Existing KB Concepts

  • hormuz — The geographic chokepoint being operated around
  • dfc-war-risk-insurance — The financial backstop enabling shippers to participate ($40B DFC pool)
  • sts-transfer — The workaround VLCCs use to avoid direct Strait transit
  • hormuz-tanker-loop — The empty tanker return loop through the Strait
  • dark-fleet — The operating procedures (AIS off, lights off) match dark fleet protocol
  • intertanko-advisory — INTERTANKO's industry documentation of the secret route

Referenced From

Created: 2026-06-11 | Updated: 2026-06-12