Iran has issued a strong warning to the United States after President Donald Trump announced a new maritime initiative aimed at helping ships move through the Strait of Hormuz.

Reacting to Trump’s statement, Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s National Security Council, said any American intervention in the strategic waterway would be considered a violation of the current ceasefire.

Azizi said the management of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf could not be shaped by what he described as deceptive statements from Trump. He added that there was no room for political rhetoric when it came to the affairs of the Gulf’s key shipping routes.

Earlier, Trump announced that the US would begin efforts from today to assist vessels stranded in the narrow waterway. In a message posted on his social media platform Truth Social, he said Washington was launching “Project Freedom” from this morning, based on Middle East time.

According to Trump, neutral countries’ ships would be provided safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz so that commercial activity could continue without disruption.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important energy corridors, carrying a major share of global oil exports. Any fresh confrontation in the area could quickly affect shipping, regional stability and international oil prices.