Iran’s military warned US forces on Monday not to enter the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump said the United States would start helping to free ships stranded in the Gulf by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Trump gave few details of the plan to aid ships and their crews that have been “locked up” in the vital waterway and are running low on food and other supplies for more than two months since the conflict began.

“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 his Truth Social site on Sunday.

Read: US moves to escort ships as Hormuz simmers

The unified command of Iran’s armed forces responded by warning US forces to stay out of the strait.

Its forces would “respond harshly” to any threat, it added, telling commercial ships and oil tankers to refrain from any movement in the absence of coordination with Iran’s military.

“We have repeatedly said the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in our hands and that the safe passage of vessels needs to be coordinated with the armed forces,” Ali Abdollahi, the head of the forces’ unified command, said in the statement.

“We warn that any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive US army, will be attacked if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz.”

US launches ‘Project Freedom’

According to an article published on X by CENTCOM, the US will start lending military support to “Project Freedom”, to “restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz”

According to the article, the mission is meant to “support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor.”

“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.

US hands over seized Iranian ship, crew to Pakistan for repatriation

A vessel intercepted by the United States after attempting to breach a blockade on Iranian ports has been transferred to Pakistan for repatriation to Iran, along with its crew, US media reported Sunday, citing US Central Command (CENTCOM).

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 22 members have been evacuated to Pakistan, and the Iranian ship will also be “backloaded to Pakistani territorial waters for return to its original owners after necessary repairs.”

“Today, US forces completed the transfer of 22 crew members of M/V Touska to Pakistan for repatriation,” broadcaster ABC News quoted CENTCOM Spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins as saying.

Hawkins added that six other passengers had already been transferred to a regional country for repatriation last week.

Iranian state media reported that the six individuals were family members of some of the crew.

US naval forces seized the vessel Touska on April 19 in the Gulf of Oman after it reportedly refused to comply with blockade directions.