Trump Pauses US Escorts Through Strait of Hormuz After Saudi Arabia Suspends Bases

The United States and Iran edged toward a limited, temporary agreement to halt their war, with a draft framework that would stop the fighting but leave the most contentious issues unresolved, according to sources and officials said on Thursday.

“Trump’s reversal on reopening Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from ally: Report Saudi Arabia reportedly suspended US military’s ability to use its bases and airspace Berk Kutay Gökmen 07 May 2026•Update: 07 May 2026 Türkiye, İstanbul US President Donald Trump’s sudden reversal on his plan to assist ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz followed a decision by a key Gulf ally to suspend the US military’s use of its bases and airspace for the operation, NBC News reported Wednesday, citing sources”

Anadolu Ajansı

The same day, President Donald Trump announced a pause on US escorts of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, saying the escorts will be “paused for a short period” while the U.S. and its allies pursue an agreement to end the war with Iran.

Anadolu Ajansı

Trump’s “Project Freedom” effort had been launched to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz to break Tehran’s chokehold, but it was halted roughly 36 hours after it began after Saudi Arabia suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace.

Politico reported that hours earlier Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Trump had “stepped up and answered the calls for their help” from U.S. allies to rescue as many as 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries trapped in the waterway.

In parallel, Reuters reported that the proposed framework would unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement.

Two U.S. officials told NBC News that Trump’s abrupt reversal on the Strait of Hormuz came after Saudi Arabia suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation.

NBC News said the move angered the leadership in Saudi Arabia, which informed Washington it would not allow the U.S. military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase, southeast of Riyadh, or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort.

Haaretz

Anadolu Ajansı reported that a phone call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly failed to settle the matter, forcing the president to halt Project Freedom in order to restore U.S. military access to the vital airspace.

Reuters quoted a senior Pakistani official involved in mediation, saying, "Our priority is that they announce a permanent end to war and the rest of the issues could be thrashed out once they get back to direct talks," tying the interim plan to a return to direct talks.

Tensions also fed into the negotiations themselves, with Reuters saying the emerging plan leaves unresolved key US demands that Iran suspend its nuclear work and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The pause and the negotiations both hinge on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which Reuters said the interim arrangement aims to stabilize while preventing a return to conflict.

Reuters reported that hopes for a partial deal had already moved markets, with global stocks approaching record highs on Thursday and oil prices nursing steep losses on bets that supply disruptions could ease.

In the U.S.-Iran talks, Reuters said the proposal would formally end the conflict in which full-scale warfare was paused by a ceasefire announced on April 7, but it leaves unresolved issues including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear work.

Politico said Iran has demanded that the blockade be lifted before it negotiates an end to its nuclear program, while the U.S. maintained a blockade of Iranian ports even as it offered escorts for neutral countries.

NBC News added that the ceasefire has not meant a total pause of hostilities, noting that Iran has fired on commercial vessels nine times and engaged with U.S. forces more than 10 times, in addition to seizing two container ships.