U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the newly launched American effort to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz has been temporarily paused.
In a social media post, Trump said the mission, dubbed “Project Freedom,” would be halted “for a short period” as the United States and its allies pursue negotiations aimed at ending the war with Iran.
The announcement came only days after Trump unveiled the escort operation and just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly defended the military mission.
Trump earlier said the operation was intended to protect ships from neutral countries passing through the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing regional tensions and attacks linked to the conflict involving Iran.
The U.S. had said American forces would escort commercial vessels while maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran, however, has demanded that the blockade be lifted before any negotiations over its nuclear program can proceed.
The White House has yet to release further details on how the pause would affect U.S. Navy operations in the region.
Hours before Trump’s announcement, Rubio told reporters the U.S. responded to requests from allies to help thousands of civilians stranded around the waterway.
Meanwhile, Hegseth described Project Freedom as “defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration.”
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes, with global markets closely monitoring developments amid fears of wider economic disruptions.
