PM Netanyahu convenes security discussions on Iran as Jerusalem monitors Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’

Trump orders navy to guide ships through Hormuz Strait

All Israel News Staff | Published: May 4, 2026

The guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) arrives at its new homeport in San Diego. Photo by Official U.S. Navy Page from United States of AmericaPetty Officer 3rd Class Emiline/U.S. Navy – USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) arrives at its new homeport in San Diego., Public Domain, Wikipedia

Israel is monitoring the U.S.-Iran negotiations and Trump’s new “Project Freedom” with watchful eyes while continuing to prepare for a resumption of fighting against the Iranian regime, Israeli media reported on Monday morning.

Israeli officials continue to “assess that the chances of a deal are low” and are skeptical that U.S. President Donald Trump’s naval blockade will move the regime toward compromise, Ynet News reported.

On Sunday evening, Trump announced that navy ships would start accompanying ships through the Strait of Hormuz in what he called “Project Freedom,” in another step designed to increase pressure on the regime.

“The American operation will begin in a few hours. There will be no close escort by the U.S. Navy for ships wishing to leave the area, but there will be an American presence to protect the vessels,” a source told i24 News on Monday morning.

The new move effectively aims to dismantle the Iranian blockade of the waterway, which has served as its most potent tool to pressure the U.S., the Gulf countries and the West, and could potentially draw a military response from the regime.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday instructed ministers not to comment publicly on Iran and to choose their words carefully. According to Israeli sources, the U.S. is also preparing for the possibility of renewed fighting.

Against this background, Netanyahu requested to cancel the court hearing in his ongoing corruption trial for Monday, noting that he was “required to attend a cabinet meeting yesterday and additional security consultations until the early hours of the morning, and today he is required to continue with a security and diplomatic schedule.’”

On Sunday evening Israeli time, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. had been asked to “free” the ships of various nations that are stuck in the Hormuz Strait.

“They are merely neutral and innocent bystanders! For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump wrote.

“I am fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all… This is a Humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran.”

However, the president threatened: “If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”

In response to this statement, the Iranian Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters warned vessels “to avoid any transit activity without coordination … so as not to endanger their safety. We warn that any foreign force, especially the American military, that attempts to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be attacked.”

On Sunday evening, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre said that a vessel reported being hit by an unknown projectile 78nm north of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, in a possible Iranian attack, while ships near the UAE port of Ras Al Khaimah received messages over radio to move away from their mooring spots.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) later said it would support “merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor” as part of “Project Freedom.”

“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” said Adm. Brad Cooper.

“U.S. military support to Project Freedom will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members.”

Over the weekend, the U.S. sent its response to the Iranian regime’s latest proposal to end the war, which included fourteen points in three stages, according to Al Jazeera.

In a first step, the ceasefire would be stabilized and turned into a full end to the war, including the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, though under unknown conditions. Then, the regime would commit to temporarily freezing uranium enrichment, before building a new regional security framework.

However, parts of the report indicating that the regime was ready for several meaningful concessions were quickly contradicted by Iran’s Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei noted that “at this stage—we are not discussing the nuclear issue.”