Trump says US to help escort neutral ships out of Strait of Hormuz starting Monday

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States would begin escorting neutral foreign vessels safely out of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning Middle East time, describing the effort as a “humanitarian gesture” toward countries caught up in a conflict they have no part in.

Trump said ships from countries around the world had asked the US for help after becoming trapped in the waterway.

He said he had instructed his representatives to inform those nations that the US would use its "best efforts" to guide their ships and crews out of the restricted passage, adding the vessels would not return until the area was safe for navigation.

Trump named the initiative "Project Freedom," saying many of the stranded ships were running low on food and other essentials needed to keep large crews in healthy condition.

"The ship movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong — They are victims of circumstance," he said.

He said the move was “for the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States,” adding that any interference with the humanitarian effort would "have to be dealt with forcefully."

Trump also said his representatives are engaging in "very positive" discussions with Iran that he believed "could lead to something very positive for all."

Iran did not immediately react to his announcement.

The announcement came as Trump told the Israeli media outlet Kan News that he had studied Iran's proposal to end the war and found it unacceptable.

"It's not acceptable to me. I've studied it, I've studied everything — it's not acceptable," he said.

On Saturday, he had already expressed skepticism, saying Tehran had not yet paid a "big enough price" for its actions over the past 47 years.

Despite the public dismissal, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN that Washington remained engaged.

"We're in conversation," Witkoff said when asked about the state of discussions.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Saturday that Tehran had submitted a 14-point response to a US proposal through a Pakistani intermediary. Iran said Sunday that it had received a US response and was reviewing it.

The Axios news site reported that the US on Sunday submitted a newly revised draft agreement aimed at ending the war in response to Iran’s latest proposal.

The war paused after a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire took hold in early April and was later extended indefinitely.

Peace talks were held in Islamabad last month, but an agreement was not reached, and another round could not be arranged. Trump said "we're not flying anymore with 18-hour flights every time we want to see a piece of paper. We're doing it telephonically.”