US President Donald Trump says he is considering reviving his short-lived "Project Freedom," this time in an expanded form that would go beyond merely escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the remarks during a phone interview with Fox News' John Roberts. He said he had not yet made a final decision on renewing the project.
Trump referred to the Iranian proposal that was conveyed to the United States and to the continuation of negotiations with Tehran, saying "It's unbelievably weak. I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us (the Iranian proposal). I didn't even finish reading it. I said, I'm not going to waste my time reading it. I would say this (the ceasefire) is one of the weakest right now. It is hooked up to life support. I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, 'Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.'"
Trump first announced the initiative last week, but suspended it shortly afterward against the backdrop of negotiations with Tehran. "This time, US guided-missile ships will be a small part of a larger military operation," the president warned, adding that he believed the Iranians would choose to "fold."
Trump also addressed the highly enriched uranium, which he calls "nuclear dust," saying, "The US will have to dig out the 'nuclear dust,' because it is so deep that Iran has no access to it."
In addition, Lithuania announced that it would send up to 40 soldiers and naval personnel to assist the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, the Baltic state's State Defense Council, headed by the president, said in a proposal submitted to parliament on Monday. It is the first country to formally commit forces to help the Americans in the effort to free the vital shipping lane from Iranian control.
