The United States military has begun deploying a significant amount of forces and firepower on Monday (May 4) to carry out President Trump’s “Freedom Plan” operation, aimed at escorting stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned that if Iran interferes with the US military operation, it will be “wiped off the face of the earth”.
Trump made the above remarks during a phone interview with Fox News reporter Trey Yingst on Monday.
“We have more and higher-grade weapons and ammunition than ever before,” Trump said. “We have the best equipment, our gear is spread all over the world, and we have bases everywhere. These bases are stocked with more than enough equipment. If needed, we can utilize all of these resources.”
Trump told Fox News that he believes Iran has become more flexible in peace negotiations. He stated that the US’s current naval blockade of Iranian ports and ships is the “largest scale military operation in history”, and if necessary, US bases are prepared for new strikes against Iran.
He said there are only two paths for the future: either the US and Iran reach a genuine agreement, or the US resumes military actions against Iran. The president also emphasized that the US military buildup in the region is ongoing.
US Central Command stated that 15,000 military personnel, over a hundred land-based and sea-based aircraft, as well as warships and drones have been deployed to carry out the “Freedom Plan” operation announced by President Trump on Sunday (May 3).
Central Command Commander Brad Cooper told reporters in a phone conference on Monday that Iran launched multiple cruise missiles, drones, and small boats towards ships protected by the US military, “through precise use of defensive ammunition, we thwarted all of these threats”. He also stated that US military helicopters and AH-64 “Apache” helicopters sank six Iranian small boats threatening merchant ships.
Central Command released a statement on social media platform X on Monday featuring a speech by Cooper. Cooper said, “the US military is assisting the international community in restoring global trade flow, while the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is doing everything to intimidate and threaten merchant ships. My overall operational assessment is that the US military has a clear advantage. We have concentrated significant combat capabilities and firepower in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding areas.”