U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary suspension of the operation to escort ships in the Persian Gulf — “Project Freedom.” According to him, the pause will last a “short period of time” and is necessary to assess the prospects for a peace agreement with Iran.
Trump clarified that the decision was made at the request of Pakistan and other countries acting as mediators in the negotiations. In his Truth Social post, he noted “significant military successes” and “substantial progress” in the dialogue with Tehran, the BBC’s Russian Service reports.
Iranian state media claimed that the suspension of the operation indicates that Trump “backed down” after a series of failures in attempts to unblock the vital waterway for global shipping.
Trump’s statement came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced at a White House briefing the conclusion of the “Epic Fury” operation, launched in late February, and the transition to the next phase — “Project Freedom.”
Rubio emphasized that the operation is purely defensive. “We will not open fire unless fired upon first,” he stated.
Earlier, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that destroyers, aircraft, and about 15,000 military personnel are planned to be involved in the mission.
Washington’s statements came amid a series of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, which heightened fears of a truce breakdown. The U.S. claims that their goal is to free ships stranded in the Persian Gulf.
On Monday, Trump threatened that Iran would be “wiped off the face of the Earth” in the event of an attack on American ships. Tehran did not directly respond to these words, but the Speaker of Parliament Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf accused the U.S. and its allies of undermining the security of shipping, stating that their actions will not be successful.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a cargo ship in the strait was hit by an “unknown projectile.” Details of the incident have not yet been disclosed.
The UAE authorities also stated that their air defense systems have been intercepting Iranian missiles and drones for the second day in a row, calling the situation a dangerous escalation.
Iran denies these accusations.
Earlier, the U.S. announced the conclusion of the “Epic Fury” operation, which was launched on February 28 after a series of airstrikes on Iran. In response, Tehran blocked the Strait of Hormuz — a key route through which about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed before the conflict.
