Trump Threatens Iran With Higher-Level Strikes as U.S. Pauses Project Freedom in Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump threatened Iran with “higher level” military strikes if it does not accept a peace deal, while saying it was “too soon” for new direct talks with Iranian officials in Pakistan after reporting “great progress” in negotiations to end the war.

“Verbal support, practical hesitation; has the brake on attacking Iran been pulled”

BBC

In the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. and Iran traded fire and threats as the ceasefire was tested, with the United Arab Emirates saying its air defenses “engaged” 19 Iranian missiles and drones and a drone attack causing a fire at an oil port in the Fujairah region.

BBC

Trump announced Tuesday evening that “Project Freedom” would be paused, writing on Truth Social that the blockade would remain in full force and effect while the movement of ships through the strait was paused to see whether an agreement could be finalized and signed.

The U.S. military said Iran attacked U.S.

Navy and commercial ships with cruise missiles Monday and launched drones and small boats at vessels under U.S. escort, while the U.S. said no American ships were struck.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and told him attacks on Emirati civilian infrastructure and ships near the Strait of Hormuz were “unjustified,” adding that he called on both the U.S. and Iran to immediately lift the blockade in the strait without any conditions.

Pezeshkian’s office said “any negotiation regarding the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz requires the lifting of the naval blockade imposed by the United States,” while Trump’s administration framed the U.S. actions as defensive, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying “There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first.”

CBS News

In Washington, Trump also told reporters that “Never a deadline,” responding to a question about a deadline for negotiations with Iran.

At the same time, Trump warned in a separate interview that Iranian forces would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if they attempted to target US ships in the strait or the Persian Gulf.

The Guardian reported that over 800 ships and roughly 20,000 crew members remain stranded in the region as Tehran sought to reassert its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, and it said the U.S. military claimed to have destroyed six Iranian small boats while intercepting Iranian cruise missiles and drones.

“• Ceasefire under strain: The ceasefire between the US and Iran is being tested after both sides fired shots in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting President Donald Trump to decline to say if the truce remains in place”

CNN

CNN said oil prices rose and stocks fell on concerns about the safety of transiting the waterway, and it quoted an oil market expert saying average U.S. gas prices could reach $5 a gallon if the strait remains closed.

NBC News said two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels made it through the strait Monday, with Maersk confirming one of its vehicle carriers was escorted out “under U.S. military protection,” and it said hundreds of ships were lining up to transit the strait.

The same reporting said Iran denied successful crossings of commercial vessels or oil tankers and said none of its navy ships were damaged, while Gen.

Dan Caine said hostilities were still “below the threshold of restarting major combat operations.”