Sara Firth

yes so just for listeners claire um project freedom is the trump administration's new military-backed effort to try and move commercial ships through the strait of hormuz now the white house has been presenting this as a humanitarian and a freedom of navigation mission

And Trump has spoken about the seafarers being stuck, calling them victims of circumstance.

And so describing this sort of primarily as a humanitarian gesture, I do want to point out, you know, that's absolutely true.

I've been speaking myself to some organizations that are receiving calls from some of those seafarers who are stuck in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the start of this conflict.

their situation is appalling.

The description of their situation is appalling.

But Project Freedom is not a small operation.

So CENTCOM says it involves guided missile destroyers, more than 100 land and sea based aircraft, unmanned platforms, at least 15,000 US service members,

So the reality is that, yes, you've got these crews stuck at sea, but you've also got what you've just talked about, Claire, this sort of

clash playing out for control of the Strait of Hormuz, conflicting reports from both sides about exactly what is happening.

Iran, for its part, has warned any foreign armed force approaching or entering the Strait will be targeted and attacked.

And so there is a clear and obvious escalation risk here.

You know, there is a large buildup still of US military

in this area.

CENTCOM have said that the Iranian forces have launched multiple drones and small boats that ships the US are protecting.

So I think the honest way to put it is that Project Freedom has a humanitarian purpose.

It is militarily backed, but it also creates the conditions in which escalation becomes much easier to justify, especially if Iran fires first or appears to fire first.

No, and Claire, for listeners, again, there is, they call it inside baseball here in America, but I mean, not to get too technical and bogged down with the congressional legal details, but there is a sort of background context to some of this ceasefire, termination of hostilities, talk that you're hearing from

both President Trump and U.S.

officials.