A dramatic week of confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz reached a pivotal moment on Tuesday when President Trump announced a temporary pause in Operation Project Freedom, the US Navy mission launched on May 4 to escort commercial vessels through the strategically vital waterway that Iran has been blockading since the outbreak of the 2026 Iran war.
Trump announced the pause on his Truth Social account, framing it as a diplomatic gesture made in response to a request from Pakistan and other nations, alongside what he described as “great progress” toward a complete and final agreement with Iranian representatives. “While the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” he wrote. Iran offered no immediate public confirmation of the claimed progress.
The decision to pause came after Monday had delivered the highest level of hostilities since the April 8 ceasefire came into effect. Iran fired at US Navy ships, the US said it destroyed eight Iranian small boats, and Tehran launched drone and missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates for the first time in weeks. Three people were injured in an Iranian strike on the UAE’s Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone. Iran claimed a US attack on a passenger boat killed five civilians, a claim the Pentagon did not confirm. A South Korean-operated cargo ship was damaged in an explosion and caught fire while anchored off the UAE, with Trump pointing to Iran as responsible and calling on South Korea to join the mission.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared at a Pentagon briefing on Tuesday and argued that the tit-for-tat attacks in the strait did not constitute a ceasefire violation, characterising Project Freedom as a distinct and separate operation. “Ultimately, this is a separate and distinct project, and we expected there would be some churn at the beginning,” Hegseth said. He added that the US had successfully escorted two American-flagged merchant vessels through the strait on Monday under naval protection, with shipping giant Maersk confirming that one of its vehicle carriers made it through.
The Iranian blockade has left approximately 1,550 ships stranded in the Gulf, according to US officials. The closure has sent global oil prices soaring and created a political liability for the Trump administration at home, with petrol prices in the United States rising to a national average of $4.48 per gallon, up from below $3 before the war began. Iran’s parliament speaker said Tehran was “solidifying the new equation” in Hormuz and warned the US that Iran had “not even begun yet.”
With peace negotiations now contingent on a pause that both sides are interpreting differently, the situation in the strait remains one of the most consequential economic and security flashpoints in the world.
Ewan is a reporter at the Foreign Policy Journal, primarily covering US current affairs and news related to NYSE-listed stocks. He has over two decades of experience in journalism and digital publishing.
