Trump Pauses U.S. Escort Of Stranded Vessels From Strait Of Hormuz To Finalize Iran Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday evening that he has paused the U.S. effort to guide stranded vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz “to finalize an Iran deal,” while insisting that “the American forces' blockade of the Iranian ports would remain in place.”

“The ceasefire between the United States and Iran is still in place despite bursts of military action around the Strait of Hormuz, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth tells reporters”

Al Jazeera

Trump announced the decision in a social media post, saying he was pausing the effort for a short period “on the request of Pakistan and other Countries” and citing “the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran.”

Al Jazeera

In the same posting, Trump said “Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a White House press briefing that for peace to be achieved, Iran must agree to Trump’s demands on its nuclear program and also agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Rubio called “a vital waterway for global energy.”

Rubio also framed the escort effort as defensive, saying “There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first, OK?” and adding “We’re not attacking them.”

The announcement came as the United Arab Emirates said it came under attack from Iranian drones and missiles for a second day, while U.S. military leaders and Rubio insisted a ceasefire was still holding.

Even as Trump paused the escort effort, U.S. officials said the ceasefire remained in place and that the U.S. military campaign had moved into a different phase.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine told reporters that Iran’s renewed attacks had not reached the threshold of “major combat operations,” and Hegseth said Tuesday marked a “quieter” day in the strait.

Defence Security Asia

“The ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth said, while Rubio described clashes tied to the reopening effort as “defensive in nature.”

Rubio also said the U.S. pushed efforts to reopen the strait to maritime traffic earlier in the day, describing the operation as defensive and aimed at helping “thousands of civilian sailors stranded there by the war.”

The NPR report said the U.S. had opened a lane and sunk six small Iranian boats that had threatened commercial ships, while only two merchant ships were known to have passed through the new U.S.-guarded route.

Caine said more than 100 U.S. military aircraft were patrolling the skies over the strait, and the U.S. has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13.

Iran’s position in the reporting centered on rejecting the U.S. claim that it was reopening the strait without violating the ceasefire, while also signaling that it had not yet fully responded to the U.S. attempt to reopen the waterway.

NPR quoted Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, saying on X: “We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America; while we have not even begun yet.”

The same NPR account said Iran disputed Washington’s claim that it had sunk six Iranian boats, with an Iranian military commander saying two small civilian cargo boats were hit Monday, killing five civilians, according to Iran’s state TV.

Al Jazeera described the ceasefire as still in place while military action continued around the Strait of Hormuz, and it said Hegseth told reporters “The ceasefire is not over. Ultimately, this is a separate and distinct project, and we expected there would be some churn at the beginning, which happened.”

Al Jazeera also reported that Monday saw the highest level of hostilities since the truce came into effect on April 8, with Iran firing at U.S. Navy ships and the U.S. shooting down seven small Iranian military boats.

The Al Jazeera account said Tehran renewed its drone and missile launches against the United Arab Emirates, and it reported that three people were injured in the Iranian strike on the UAE’s Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone.

Beyond the immediate naval standoff, U.S. officials sought to translate the Hormuz crisis into diplomatic pressure through the United Nations Security Council.

NPR reported that Rubio called a U.S.-proposed U.N. resolution demanding Iran stop attacks and laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz a test of the utility of the United Nations, and urged China and Russia not to repeat vetoes.

NPR

The news8000 report said U.S. officials sought to maintain a shaky ceasefire while pushing forward the operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even as the UAE said it suffered a new wave of Iranian missile and drone strikes.

In that account, Rubio characterized the escort effort as defensive in nature and said “Operation Epic Fury is concluded,” while also saying “We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur.”

The news8000 report also described the U.N. track in detail, saying Security Council members began closed talks Tuesday on a text the U.S. drafted with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar.

It said a previous Bahraini resolution backed by the United States failed last month after Russia and China exercised their vetoes in the 15-member Security Council.

The reporting portrayed the next phase as a combination of continued naval pressure, monitoring for ceasefire violations, and diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation.

Hegseth told reporters that the U.S. mission to protect commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz would be temporary, and that other nations would soon have to take responsibility, while emphasizing that the fragile ceasefire remained in place despite attacks on U.S. ships a day earlier, according to the Washington Post.

PressTV

In the NPR and Al Jazeera accounts, U.S. officials repeatedly tied their posture to thresholds and to the president’s decision-making, with Hegseth saying “The ceasefire is not over” and that the U.S. expected “some churn at the beginning.”

Al Jazeera reported that Hegseth said “We have established a powerful red, white and blue dome over the strait,” and that “American destroyers are on station,” while also emphasizing that “Iranian vessels will not be permitted to pass.”

The news8000 report said the U.S. had achieved its objectives in its military campaign and that “Right now the ceasefire certainly holds, but we're going to be watching very, very closely,” quoting Hegseth.

With traffic “largely at a standstill” in the Al Jazeera account, the immediate consequence was continued disruption to shipping and the risk that the ceasefire could be tested again as the U.S. paused the escort effort and sought a final agreement.