Middle East
In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency on May 4, 2026, vessels are pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump has ordered a temporary halt to the naval operation Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz to allow time to determine whether a final agreement with Iran can be completed and signed.
In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said the decision followed requests from Pakistan and other mediating countries, alongside progress in ongoing negotiations. "We have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” Trump wrote.
The halting of the Operation comes after Iran fired drones and cruise missiles at US destroyers that transited through the Strait. Iran also fired around two dozen missiles and drones at the UAE on Monday and Tuesday.
The UAE said that it shot down most of the projectiles and reiterated that it reserved the right to self-defence, to which the Iranians responded with more threats.
Trump also said they have achieved a “tremendous Military Success" 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.
The pause comes just two days after the operation was announced. On Monday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the launch of a major maritime operation aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, to ensure the “freedom of navigation for commercial shipping” through the strategic waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade, along with significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer products, making it a key artery for the global economy. It was closed after the US and Israel launched a wide-scale air campaign against Iran on February 28, targeting more than 17,000 sites across the country over six weeks of hostilities.
In response, Tehran carried out drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - as well as launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.
Further complicating the situation are tit-for-tat maritime restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has tightened controls on shipping, while the US has enforced naval measures targeting vessels linked to Iranian ports.
While Project Freedom is suspended, US officials confirmed that the naval blockade on Iran will remain in place.
On Tuesday, top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States of violating a four-week-long ceasefire with Iran through its military activities in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The new equation of the Strait of Hormuz is in the process of being solidified. The security of shipping and energy transit has been jeopardized by the United States and its allies through the violation of the ceasefire and the imposition of a blockade; of course, their evil will diminish,” Ghalibaf, who also serves as parliament speaker, wrote on X.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said early Tuesday that the developments in the Strait “make clear that there's no military solution to a political crisis.”
“As talks are making progress with Pakistan's gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into [a] quagmire by ill-wishers,” he added, describing the Project Freedom as “Project Deadlock.”
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