US to Use 15,000 Troops in Project Freedom for Strait of Hormuz

The United States will begin an operation on Monday, named 'Project Freedom,' to free merchant ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. The initiative involves approximately 15,000 US service personnel, guided-missile destroyers, and over 100 aircraft, as announced by US Central Command (Centcom). The ongoing closure by Iran has resulted in an increase in global fuel prices and left around 20,000 sailors stranded. The operation comes amid a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran, aiming to facilitate freedom for international shipping in a critical oil transit route, accounting for 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.