President Donald Trump's "Project Freedom" plan, which calls for US assistance in guiding stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz, has been described by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as a "humanitarian effort" to protect vital global supply chains, including liquified petroleum gas (LPG), which is essential for India's daily cooking needs.
Speaking to Fox News, Bessent asserted that a number of countries, including "some of the poorest and most vulnerable ones," approached him at the World Bank Spring Meetings last month, pleading with the US to resume commercial shipping through the vital waterway.

"This is a humanitarian effort... It's not only energy that's in there, but it's also fertiliser, it's food transport, it's LPG for the more than the billion-plus people in India use to cook," he stated.
Claims of Victory
The Team Trump official reiterated that Tehran's defence against US soldiers was merely "propaganda" and that Iran had lost its ability to fight in the conflict. "I think the Iranians are starting to believe their own propaganda," he said. To be clear, their leadership is holed up in bunkers across the nation, and I don't think they are aware of the situation. However, they are being diminished. "Their Navy is no longer a Navy," he asserted.

"This group of pirates is attempting to block international freedom of navigation via the Strait of Hormuz. Bessent continued, "And the US is opening that up."
He went on to say that Iran's economy is collapsing. "Everyone claims to have a high pain threshold. Their warriors won't put up with being unpaid, though.
The China Issue
China was also chastised by the Treasury Secretary, who claimed Beijing was providing Iran with financial support. "Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and China has been buying 90 per cent of their energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of terrorism," he said to Fox News.Bessent urged Beijing to contribute despite the charge, especially in light of the anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump next week.The Strait is now closed due to Iranian attacks. We're reopening it. He said, "Let's see them step up with some diplomacy and get the Iranians to open the strait. Therefore, I would urge the Chinese to join us in supporting this international operation."
Hormuz Issues
Bessent addressed worries about the world's energy markets by acknowledging that the Hormuz problem was causing a shortfall of up to 10 million barrels per day, but he was confident that supplies would recover."Help is on the way as of today," he stated, pointing out that dozens of oil tankers are anticipated to pass through the strait and that pressure would be lessened by increasing production from nations like the UAE and OPEC members as well as record US output.
Even as the US established a sea blockade on Iranian ports, the crucial waterway for the transportation of gas and oil is still mostly closed despite repeated calls from the US for Iran to reopen the strait. With tensions rising after the United Arab Emirates, a US ally, reported that it was attacked by Iran for the first time since the ceasefire last month, negotiations on a permanent end to the conflict have also halted.