Iran live updates: UAE says it's intercepting Iranian missiles and drones

Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, the commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a statement carried by state media on Monday that "any foreign armed force, especially the invading U.S. army, if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be subjected to attack."

"We will maintain the security of the Strait of Hormuz with all our might and manage it powerfully," Abdollahi said. The commander said that "all commercial ships and tankers" should "refrain from any action to transit without coordination with the armed forces stationed in the Strait of Hormuz so that their security is not endangered."

The warning came after U.S. Central Command said it would on Monday begin the "Project Freedom" operation "to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz." President Donald Trump announced the mission on Sunday.

U.S. Central Command posted a statement to X on Sunday confirming that its forces will begin supporting "Project Freedom" in the Strait of Hormuz at the direction of President Donald Trump, beginning on Monday.

"Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade," Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in the statement.

The mission is intended "to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM said.

The U.S. military role will be to extend a U.S. defensive umbrella over ships seeking to leave or enter the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official told ABC News. Project Freedom is not about providing escorts to ships, the official said.

"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," CENTCOM said in its statement.

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he's ordered U.S. personnel to safely guide ships and crews from countries that are not involved with the Iran war out of Strait of Hormuz, which is currently subject to a naval blockade.

Trump gave few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers.

This "humanitarian gesture," which Trump called "Project Freedom," will begin Monday morning "Middle East time," he wrote.

"The Ship movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong -- They are victims of circumstance," the president wrote. "This is a Humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran."

Trump claimed that his "representatives" were having "very positive discussions" with Iranian leadership, despite the fact that he said earlier Sunday that he reviewed their most recent peace proposal and that it is "not acceptable."

He said these discussions "could lead to something very positive for all" but warned that if Iran interferes with these safety efforts, they will "have to be dealt with forcefully."