President Donald Trump said the US would temporarily halt operations to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz while the blockade would continue. He claimed that considerable progress has been made toward a full and final agreement with representatives of Iran.
Trump wrote on ‘Truth Social’, “At the request of Pakistan and other countries, given the tremendous military success we have achieved during the campaign against Iran, and, in addition, the fact that considerable progress has been made toward a full and final agreement with representatives of Iran, we have decided by mutual consent that, while the blockade remains in full force, ‘Project Freedom’ (the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be stopped for a short period, so that it It remains to be seen whether the agreement can be finalized and signed or not.”
Firing between US and Iran forces
The operation, which was announced by Trump on Sunday evening, became effective from Monday. Soon after, there was a exchange of fire and accusations between the US and Iranian forces, raising questions about the fragile ceasefire.
But Trump administration officials stressed Tuesday that the cease-fire is far from over, and spent the day extolling the merits of a new operation to guide ships through the strait.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had said military operations launched against Iran in February had ended, told reporters at the White House that the US is now focused on the new operation, which he described as the “first step” towards fully reopening the vital waterway.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a morning briefing that the effort is “separate and distinct” from ongoing military operations in the region. “‘Project Freedom’ is defensive in nature, limited in scope and intended for a temporary period; it has a sole mission: to protect innocent commercial vessels from Iranian aggression,” he said.