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Trump
puts ‘Project Freedom’ on hold, saying he hopes to finalise a deal with Iran
US
president says he is pausing US effort to guide stranded vessels out of the
strait of Hormuz but blockade remains
Mark
Saunokonoko and agencies
Wed 6 May
2026 01.55 BST
Donald
Trump announced he is pausing ‘Project Freedom’, the US effort to guide
stranded vessels out of the strait of Hormuz, so he can finalise a deal with
Iran, but added that his blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place.
Trump’s
abrupt change of plan was declared in a social media post, saying he was
pausing the effort for “a short period” to give space for US efforts to
finalise a settlement with Iran to end the war.
Despite
Project Freedom only launching Monday, Trump said he’d made the move based “on
the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success
that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and,
additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and
Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran”. Iran is yet to comment.
The
announcement came after military leaders and the US secretary of state, Marco
Rubio, insisted a ceasefire in the Middle East was still holding and that –
while the conflict is not resolved – the initial major US military operation
against Iran has concluded.
“The
operation is over. Epic Fury – as the president notified Congress – we’re done
with that stage of it,” Rubio said.
Rubio
told the White House press briefing Tuesday 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.
Trump’s
pausing of Project Freedom appeared to run counter to comments from Rubio and
the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, only hours earlier.
In a
Pentagon news conference, Hegseth said the US had successfully secured a path
through the waterway and that hundreds of commercial ships were lining up to
pass through. “We know the Iranians are embarrassed by this fact. They said they control the
strait. They do not,” he said.
Rubio
later said the US was working to get ships through the strait as a “favour to
the world … because we’re the only ones that can”. As Rubio was addressing
reporters, a cargo vessel in the strait reported it had been struck by a
unknown projectile.
Rubio
expressed hope that during the visit to China by Iranian foreign minister Abbas
Araghchi on Wednesday, Beijing would reiterate to Tehran the need to release
its chokehold on the strait.
“It is in
China’s interest that Iran stop closing the strait,” Rubio said.
So far,
only two merchant ships are known to have passed through the US-guarded route,
with hundreds more, carrying up to 23,000 crew members, bottled up in the
Persian Gulf.
Iran’s
effective closure of the strait, through which major oil and gas supplies
passed before the war, along with fertiliser and other petroleum products, has
sent fuel prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy. Breaking Iran’s
grip would deny its main source of leverage as Trump demands a major rollback
of its disputed nuclear program.
Meanwhile,
for a second day the United Arab Emirates said it came under attack from
Iranian drones and missiles, claims denied by Tehran.
Hegseth
and Gen Dan Caine, the US military’s top officer, told a news conference that
Iran’s renewed attacks had not reached the threshold of what Caine called
“major combat operations”. He said Tuesday marked a “quieter” day in the
strait.
“The
ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth said.
At the
White House, Rubio said clashes with Iran related to American efforts to reopen
the straight were “defensive in nature”.
“There’s
no shooting unless we’re shot at first, OK?” Rubio said. “We’re not attacking
them.”
The Trump
administration is facing increasing pressure over how it frames the conflict to
Congress because of the war powers resolution, a law that typically requires
presidents to seek formal approval from Congress for war activities 60 days
after beginning military action.
On the
eve of the 60 day war powers deadline expiring last week, a senior official of
the Trump administration said the US had “terminated” hostilities with Iran
since the shaky 8 April ceasefire.
Rising
gasoline prices are also proving awkward for Republicans with midterms fast
looming. The national average retail price passed $4.50 a gallon on Tuesday for
the first time since July 2022, data showed. In the hours after Trump’s
surprise announcement, the price of Brent crude was holding steady at $108.
Iran’s
parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, signalled
Iran has yet to fully respond to the US attempt to reopen the waterway.
“We know
full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America;
while we have not even begun yet,” he said in a post on X. His statement did
not mention negotiations with the US that are now in the form of passing
messages via Pakistan.
Disputing
Washington’s claim of sinking six Iranian boats, an Iranian military commander
said two small civilian cargo boats were hit Monday, killing five civilians,
Iran’s state TV reported.
Caine,
who serves as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more than 100 US
military aircraft are patrolling the skies over the strait. The US has imposed
a naval blockade on Iranian ports since 13 April, depriving Tehran of oil
revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
Hapag-Lloyd
AG, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, said in a
statement that its risk assessment “remains unchanged” and that transits
through the strait “are for the moment not possible for our ships”.
“For
shipping companies and for insurance companies, they still have to wait and see
how this plays out,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at
risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
With
Associated Press
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