US warships have begun crossing the Strait of Hormuz under escort, as part of an operation Trump has named "Project Freedom". The action is a response to Iran's blockade of third-country ships - commercial vessels with no connection to the Middle East conflict, but trapped in one of the world's most strategic maritime chokepoints.

Trump said countries around the world had requested American help: "Countries that have nothing to do with the Middle East conflict asked whether we could help them free the ships blocked in the Strait of Hormuz." Then he added a warning: "If this humanitarian operation is obstructed in any way - that obstruction, unfortunately, will have to be decisively resolved."

The Strait of Hormuz is the channel through which roughly 20 percent of the world's oil trade passes. Blocking that corridor is not just a regional problem - it is a direct hit to global supply chains. The Balkans, fully dependent on energy imports, is not immune to the fallout.

Whether Iran will respond to a US naval escort - and if so, how - is the question the world is waiting on. Trump has drawn the line. American administrations have done this before, but rarely with ships physically in the water.