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Trump Pauses US Project Freedom in Strait of Hormuz Amid Iran Talks

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President Donald Trump paused the U.S. military’s “Project Freedom” operation in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, saying “great progress” had been made toward a possible agreement with Iran, even as a blockade of Iranian ports and the broader Gulf crisis continued to roil energy markets and strand tens of thousands of seafarers centcom +1. The pause came less than two days after the high‑risk mission to guide commercial ships out of the strategic chokepoint formally began cbsnews +1.

Announced over the weekend, Project Freedom was billed as a U.S.-led effort to “rescue” crews and restore commercial traffic through a waterway that normally carries about one‑fifth of the world’s oil but has been effectively throttled by Iran since the latest phase of the U.S.–Iran war escalated in late February cbsnews +1. U.S. Central Command said the operation could involve several guided‑missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and roughly 15,000 personnel, though only a handful of vessels actually transited under U.S. protection before Trump ordered the pause cbsnews +1. An estimated 20,000–23,000 sailors remain stuck aboard 1,600–2,000 ships in the wider Gulf region cnn +1.

What the Pause Means for Diplomacy and the Ceasefire

Trump said on social media that Project Freedom would be halted “for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” framing the move as a response to diplomatic momentum with Tehran centcom +1. Pakistan, which has been mediating between the two sides since an April ceasefire, had quietly urged Washington to dial back the operation, arguing that U.S. warships pressing up against Iran’s declared closure line risked collapsing talks altogether, according to regional diplomats cited in U.S. and Gulf media bbc +1.

Iran’s foreign ministry condemned Project Freedom as a violation of the ceasefire and dubbed it “Project Deadlock,” insisting that control of the strait is a security imperative and that any solution must be political rather than military cnn +1. Iranian forces claimed they had “prevented the entry” of enemy warships, while U.S. officials said their ships shot down missiles and drones and sank several small Iranian boats that threatened escorted traffic cfr +1. The pause potentially lowers the immediate risk of a direct naval clash, but core sticking points — Iran’s demand to end the blockade, U.S. insistence on limits to Iran’s nuclear and regional activities, and arrangements for reopening Hormuz — remain unresolved after earlier talks collapsed in April cnbc +1.

Oil Markets and Regional Allies Stay on Edge

Energy markets reacted nervously to both the launch and abrupt suspension of Project Freedom. Brent crude settled around $114 a barrel on Monday, with West Texas Intermediate above $106, extending a weeks‑long run of elevated prices linked to disrupted Gulf exports and fears of a prolonged supply shock nbcnews. Analysts said the pause signaled Washington’s preference for a negotiated exit from the crisis but offered little concrete assurance on when normal traffic — roughly 130 ships a day before the war — might resume cnn +1. Many shipping firms and insurers remained reluctant to send vessels through a corridor that has seen at least 19 confirmed attacks and 10 deaths since the strait’s stop‑start closure began cnn +1.

Gulf partners have been divided but anxious. The United Arab Emirates reported missile and drone attacks on its Fujairah oil hub as U.S. and Iranian forces traded fire around the strait, reinforcing Emirati calls for stronger security guarantees and financial backstops from Washington cfr +1. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, burned by Iranian retaliation earlier in the conflict, have privately warned against steps that could draw them deeper into confrontation, even as they rely on U.S. power to safeguard energy exports breakingdefense. Maritime industry groups have urged clarity on rules of engagement and evacuation plans for stranded crews, with one shipping representative warning that “any plans put in place must be done in a coordinated and transparent manner” before insurers will fully re‑open coverage cfr.

Looking Ahead

The pause in Project Freedom underscored how tightly diplomacy, military risk and global energy flows are now intertwined in the Strait of Hormuz. If U.S.–Iran negotiators can translate the current “great progress” into a durable deal that lifts the blockade and sets rules for future traffic, the brief escort mission may be remembered as leverage that hastened compromise. If talks stall again, however, Washington will face a stark choice between resuming a hazardous naval operation in one of the world’s most volatile waterways or accepting a drawn‑out energy shock that reshapes Gulf politics and global markets alike.