Iranupdated 1h ago2 min read
Donald Trump Temporarily Halts Freedom Project in Strait of Hormuz, Says Iran Deal Possible
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Trump paused the Freedom Project to escort ships through Hormuz amid ongoing Iran talks. The pause followed reports of progress toward a possible Iran deal.
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Trump pauses Freedom Project
President Donald Trump announced he would temporarily halt the so-called Freedom Project in the Strait of Hormuz while making clear that the blockade will remain “in full force.” Trump said he was pausing the initiative “to see if an agreement can be reached” with Iran, after earlier messaging that the corridor opening was a symbol of military dominance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said at the White House that the corridor was open and that that was already the end of the conflict, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had celebrated the opening as a “gift” from the United States to the world.
The pause came two days after Trump said the initiative would pause “for a short period of time” to see whether the US and Iran can come to an agreement. The Hormuz Strait has remained largely blocked since the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on 28 February, and Tehran responded by blocking the crucial waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas is meant to pass freely.
Implementation and competing claims
US Central Command said it was using “guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members” to support the operation. Adm Brad Cooper told the BBC that vessels from 87 countries were stranded in the Gulf and that the US had contacted “dozens of ships and shipping companies to encourage traffic flow through.” “2 U.S.-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz,” while Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied any vessels had passed through the Strait.
The UAE said a tanker affiliated with Adnoc was targeted by two drones as it transited the Strait of Hormuz, and the UAE’s foreign ministry said in a statement that no-one was injured. Centcom commander Cooper said some US attack helicopters used to support the mission were used to sink six small Iranian boats that were targeting civilian vessels, and Iran denied this.
Ceasefire strain and stakes
The US says it has sunk small boats, threatening a ceasefire meant to end the war, after Iran’s military said it has fired at US warships to deter them from navigating the waterway. Only three commercial ships had managed to make it through the strait since the United States began the operation, dubbed Project Freedom, on Monday. Commercial traffic was at a near-total standstill, with two commercial vessels crossing under U.S. military protection on Monday and only one on Tuesday.
The war is in a shaky cease-fire and ship traffic in the strait is a major point of contention, with Iran warning that vessels can pass only with its permission while the U.S. blockade keeps Iranian ships from crossing. “1,600 ships, and roughly 20,000 seafarers, remain stranded in or near the strait,” and it described the pause as occurring after the US and Iran traded fire and threats over Trump’s new mission.