Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced a temporary pause in “Project Freedom,” a US military initiative aimed at escorting stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington moves closer to finalising a deal with Iran.
Despite the pause, Trump made it clear that the US blockade of Iranian ports will remain in force. In a post on Truth Social, he said, “Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.”
Trump stated that the decision to pause the operation was taken to provide diplomatic space for negotiations. “Based on requests from Pakistan and other countries, and considering the tremendous military success during the campaign against Iran, we have agreed to pause Project Freedom for a short period to see whether the agreement can be finalised and signed,” he said.
‘Operation Epic Fury Is Over’
The announcement came shortly after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the initial phase of the US military operation against Iran—codenamed “Epic Fury”—has concluded.
“The operation is over. Epic Fury—as the president notified Congress—we’re done with that stage,” Rubio said, while noting that US forces remain ready to resume combat if required.
Rubio stressed that lasting peace depends on Iran agreeing to US demands regarding its nuclear programme and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies.
Diplomatic Moves and China’s Role
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Beijing for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Rubio expressed hope that China would urge Iran to ease restrictions in the strait. He argued that China stands to lose more from disruptions, given its reliance on energy shipments through Hormuz.
“It is in China’s interest that Iran stop closing the strait,” Rubio said.
Limited Global Capacity
Addressing international involvement, Rubio noted that while many countries are concerned, few have the military capability to intervene.
“The issue isn’t a lack of interest. Many countries would like to act, but they lack the naval capacity or the ability to deploy forces quickly,” he said, adding that the US bears primary responsibility due to its global military reach.
“This is a service to the world, as it is their ships that are stranded,” he added.
Rising Tensions in the Strait
Under Project Freedom, US naval escorts reportedly faced Iranian resistance, further straining a fragile ceasefire.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned of a “firm response” if vessels deviated from designated routes, while officials indicated that negotiations were still in early stages.
At the same time, the United Arab Emirates claimed it intercepted a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones for a second consecutive day. However, Iran denied the allegations, with its Khatam al-Anbiya command stating that no missile or drone operations were carried out.
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