-- US Central Command commander Admiral Bradley Cooper said in a statement on Centcom's X page that the US had reached out to dozens of vessels and shipping companies to encourage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Over the last 12 hours, we've reached out to dozens of ships and shipping companies to encourage traffic flow through the [Strait of Hormuz], consistent with the President's intent to help guide ships safely through the narrow trade corridor," Cooper posted, adding that vessels currently operating in the Gulf include ships from 87 countries worldwide.
In a subsequent post, he said that US forces are helping the international community to restore the flow of global commerce, while the IRGC was "doing everything it can to terrorize and threaten commercial shipping."
"We have an enormous amount of capability and firepower concentrated in and around the [Strait of Hormuz]," he said.
Centcom, in an earlier X post on Monday, said it would begin supporting commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday.
The development comes after President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US would begin efforts Monday to "help free up" vessels he claimed were unable to transit the strait, describing the initiative, referred to as "Project Freedom", as a response to requests from affected countries. He characterized the ships as belonging to "neutral and innocent bystanders."
Centcom said Monday that US forces are actively working to restore commercial shipping transit. "As a first step, 2 US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey," it posted on X.
Centcom also said that the US Navy's Sea Hawk helicopters and the US Army's Apache helicopters have been deployed as part of Project Freedom operations in the Strait of Hormuz, and "were used to eliminate Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping."
Cooper said that Iran had attempted to interfere with vessels in the area over the last 12 hours and that US forces had repelled both drone and missile attacks, according to Bloomberg.
He also reportedly said the US had a "clear advantage," adding that the US remains fully committed to maintaining its blockade of Iranian vessels.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday said it had established a new maritime control zone in the Strait of Hormuz, raising tensions in one of the world's most critical shipping corridors, Iranian semi-official Tasnim reported.
The IRGC reportedly said it has designated what it called a "smart control" area in the waterway, outlining boundaries that stretch from Iran's Mount Mobarak to south of Fujairah in the UAE, and from Qeshm Island to Umm Al Quwain.
The announcement comes amid heightened regional and international friction over maritime security in the strait, through which a significant portion of global oil shipments pass.
Iran denied that the American ships transited the strait, according to news reports, and instead reportedly said a US warship had been hit by two missiles near the port of Jask at the southern entrance to the strait and turned back from its attempt to transit the strait.
Tasnim reported that Iranian military officials issued a warning against foreign intervention. Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, said any foreign military presence, particularly US forces, would be targeted if it approached or entered the area.
He added that Iran would "firmly manage the security" of the strait and urged commercial vessels and oil tankers to coordinate with Iranian armed forces before attempting passage to avoid danger.