President Trump said on the 10th the US military secretly assisted more than 200
merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, enabling over 100 million
barrels of oil to enter the open market. He said he ordered the mission last
month and asserted control of the strait rests with the US, not Iran. A US
effort launched in early May to escort trapped ships, described as a "freedom
plan," was later suspended. US media reported the pause followed Gulf allies'
objections and Saudi refusal to allow US use of Saudi bases and airspace after
the mission was not coordinated. The New York Times cited anonymous US officials
saying US forces quietly guided about 70 ships through the strait in the prior
three weeks.
