Trump Announces Suspension of "Freedom Project" Operation in the Strait of Hormuz

SadaNews: On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he will suspend the military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz just one day after its launch, in an attempt to reach an agreement with Iran to end the war in the Middle East.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, "At the request of Pakistan and other countries, and the enormous military success we have achieved during the campaign against Iran, along with the fact that we have made significant progress towards a complete and final agreement with Iranian representatives, we mutually agreed that while the blockade will remain fully in effect, the Freedom Project (the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be temporarily suspended to see if the agreement can be finalized and signed. "

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that the United States has ended its offensive operations against Iran.

Rubio stated at a press conference at the White House that "the Epic Fury operation has ended, as the president informed Congress. We have completed this phase of it."

Rubio noted that "the U.S. priority now is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz."

This came after U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Keen announced on Tuesday that his forces are on alert to resume large-scale combat operations against Iran if ordered to do so, adding that "no adversary should interpret the current restraint as a weakness of resolve."

Since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East following an American-Israeli attack on Iran, Tehran has controlled the Strait of Hormuz, through which typically one-fifth of global oil production and large quantities of liquefied natural gas pass.

In light of this situation, which has led to oil prices rising to their highest levels since 2022, Washington has pressured Tehran to reopen the sea route.

After imposing a maritime blockade on Iranian ports, the "Freedom Project" operation was launched on Monday to escort stranded ships in the Gulf out through the strait.

Rubio mentioned in a statement that the United States will present a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council "to defend freedom of navigation and secure the Strait of Hormuz."

According to Rubio, the draft resolution, formulated in partnership with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar, "demands that Iran cease attacks, mining, and all forms of fees" in the strait.