Trump says US to 'guide' stranded ships through Strait of Hormuz

The United States says it will on Monday begin trying to free merchant ships stranded by Iran's closure of the key shipping channel, the Strait of Hormuz, since the start of the war.

US President Donald Trump said "Project Freedom" was a "humanitarian gesture" and that any interference would "be dealt with forcefully".

In Trump's post on social media, he said "countries from all over the world" had asked the US if they could help free up the ships, describing them as "merely neutral and innocent bystanders".

Trump added the operation will be made on behalf of the US, Iran and other Middle Eastern nations, without listing which countries. He did not provide further details on how the operation would be managed.

He also said that US representatives were having "very positive" discussions with Iran, and that those talks "could lead to something very positive for all".