United States President Donald Trump has temporarily put “Project Freedom” on hold, pausing military escorts in the Strait of Hormuz. He said that the blockade of Iranian ports will “remain in full force and effect” until a final agreement with Tehran is reached.

The now-aborted operation is the latest flashpoint between Washington and Tehran. Iran warned that any foreign military entering the strait would be targeted, insisting that safe passage through the waterway must be coordinated with Iranian forces. –RT.

“Based on the request of Pakistan and other countries,” as well as “great progress” in talks with Iranian representatives, Washington and Tehran have “mutually agreed” to put the ship-movement operation on hold “for a short period,” Trump abruptly announced on Truth Social two days later, according to a report by RT. 

Trump launched “Project Freedom” as a way for the US military to guide tankers and other commercial vessels safely through the Strait of Hormuz during his and Iran’s joint blockade of the vital waterway.

U.S. Begins Blockade of Strait of Hormuz

One-fifth of all global oil flows makes its way through the Strait of Hormuz. When announcing the mission on Sunday, Trump described it as a humanitarian effort rather than an offensive war operation.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appeared to be caught off guard by Trump’s announcement. Earlier on Tuesday, he boasted at a press conference that “hundreds more ships from nations around the world are lining up to transit,” after US forces “embarrassed” Iran with the success of Project Freedom.

Just hours earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed the idea to journalists, saying that the original operation (Epic Fury) is over, adding: “We’re now on to this Project Freedom.”

US Central Command claimed on Monday that US forces destroyed several small Iranian boats that tried to interfere with the mission. Tehran rejected the claims, while Iranian media reported that Iranian forces had fired warning shots near US naval vessels.