WASHINGTON, May 6 — President Donald Trump said yesterday he was halting the US military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, in a bid to reach a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war.

Trump’s so-called “Project Freedom” to help vessels leave the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint to the Gulf where Iran has seized control in response to being attacked, began on Monday.

But the US leader said on Truth Social that he was now pausing it after a request by mediator Pakistan and other countries, saying that “Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement” with Tehran.

“We have mutually agreed that, 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,” Trump said.

Washington is maintaining a blockade of Iran’s ports in a bid to pressure Iran to make a deal to end the war that the United States and Israel launched on February 28.

Tensions had been soaring over the Hormuz operation, with the United States saying it had sunk seven Iranian boats, and several civilian vessels coming under attack, allegedly from Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier yesterday that the United States has completed its offensive operations against Iran, which it dubbed “Operation Epic Fury”.

Rubio’s comments echoed statements to Congress nearly a month into a fragile ceasefire.

“The operation is over—Epic Fury—as the president notified Congress. We’re done with that stage of it,” Rubio told reporters at the White House.

The clashes in the Strait of Hormuz were not part of the original war, he said.

“This is not an offensive operation; this is a defensive operation,” Rubio said. “And what that means is very simple—there’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first.”

Israel and the United States attacked Iran on February 28, killing top leaders and destroying major military and economic sites but not forcing the collapse of the Islamic republic, which has responded with missile and drone attacks across the region.

Trump on April 8 declared a ceasefire with Iran that he has since extended even though negotiations with Tehran have been at a standstill.

Rubio said the United States has “achieved the objectives” of the war.

“These guys are facing, they are facing real, catastrophic destruction to their economy,” he said, while adding that Trump still preferred a negotiated deal with Iran. — AFP

WASHINGTON, May 4 — President Donald Trump said yesterday that “very positive discussions” were underway with Iran on finding a solution to the war, but nevertheless added US forces will soon start escorting ships out of the blocked Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, told state television that Tehran had submitted a 14-point plan “focused on ending the war,” and that Washington had responded to it in a message to Pakistani mediators.

“I am fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, killing the Islamic republic’s supreme leader. Tehran responded with strikes on US military bases and Israeli targets in the region.

A ceasefire came into effect April 8, and there has been one round of direct peace talks in Islamabad since, with the two countries deadlocked.

Iran has maintained a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, choking off major flows of oil, gas and fertilizer to the world economy, while the US has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

Trump said “countries from all over the world” had requested American aid in navigating through the key waterway and out of the Gulf.

“For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump said.

“This process, Project Freedom, will begin today morning, Middle East time.”

He called it a “humanitarian gesture,” saying many of the marooned ships were “running low on food, and everything else necessary for largescale crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner.”

Trump offered few details on how the mission would work. But an operation to guide ships out of the narrow strait could put US service members precariously close to Iranian forces.

In a post on X, US Central Command said starting today, its forces would begin supporting Project Freedom with guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members.

“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in the post.

As of April 29, more than 900 commercial vessels were located in the Gulf, according to maritime intelligence firm AXSMarine. There had been more than 1,100 at the start of the conflict. — AFP