Trump Pauses Project Freedom To Guide Ships Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Iran Talks

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he has paused a U.S. mission to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz, writing in a Truth Social post that the project is on hold "for a short period of time" to see whether the United States can strike a deal with Iran. CBS News reported that Trump said the about-face came because the U.S. and Iran have made "Great Progress…toward a Complete and Final Agreement," while the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place. The operation, dubbed Project Freedom, had been unveiled by Trump late Sunday and took effect the following morning, with the U.S. military helping two American-flagged vessels pass through the strait, according to U.S. Central Command. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Tuesday that the mission to protect commercial ships would be temporary, emphasizing that the fragile ceasefire with Iran remained in place despite attacks on U.S. ships a day earlier.

As Project Freedom began, Iranian officials reacted furiously, with Iran warning that any ship that tries to transit the strait without its permission will be targeted, and CBS News said two U.S. Navy destroyers faced a barrage of Iranian missiles, drones and boats. The BBC reported that Trump said the U.S. had struck seven Iranian "fast boats" in the Strait of Hormuz and that the UAE and South Korea reported strikes on ships in the vital channel on Monday. In parallel, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the events in the strait "make clear that there's no military solution to a political crisis" and added, "Project Freedom is Project Deadlock." Trump also warned Monday that Iran will be "blown off the face of the earth" if it interferes in the strait, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said hours later that Project Freedom is purely a "defensive operation" with the U.S. only firing if it is shot at first.

Even with the pause, the U.S. plan remains tied to the ceasefire and to ongoing negotiations, with CBS News saying the administration officials say the ceasefire is still holding despite the exchanges of fire. The Washington Post reported that Hegseth said the United States would call on allies to take over the mission to reopen the waterway, framing it as a temporary step rather than a long-term U.S. role. The BBC added that Maersk said its US-flagged vessel the Alliance Fairfax exited the Strait of Hormuz after being contacted by the U.S. and offered the opportunity to exit the Gulf under US military protection. At the same time, the BBC reported that the UAE’s foreign ministry said a tanker affiliated with Adnoc was hit in the Strait of Hormuz and that Abu Dhabi called the attacks a "dangerous escalation" while reserving the right to respond.

“United States President Donald Trump has announced a naval mission called Project Freedom to help navigate stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains under a de facto Iranian blockade”

Al Jazeera