US President Donald Trump said the United States would briefly pause Project Freedom, its ship-escort operation through the Strait of Hormuz, citing progress toward a possible agreement with Iran.
Trump said on Truth Social that the pause followed requests from Pakistan and other countries, while the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain “in full force and effect.” He said talks with Tehran were moving forward, but no final agreement had been signed.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier described the operation as an effort to escort stranded tankers through the waterway, which handles about one-fifth of global oil supplies. Rubio said Iran must stop targeting ships, laying naval mines and imposing charges on vessels seeking passage.
The United States and Gulf states, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar, have drafted a United Nations Security Council resolution to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera, citing Germany’s DPA news agency.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the ceasefire with Iran “certainly holds,” though Washington was watching developments closely after recent exchanges of fire in the Gulf. General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iranian attacks had remained below the threshold for restarting major combat operations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday, according to China’s Xinhua news agency. Iranian media said the talks would cover bilateral relations and regional and international developments.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said mediation efforts to end the US-Iran conflict were continuing, with multiple countries involved in consultations.
Oil prices fell after Trump’s announcement, with US crude futures dropping below $100 per barrel, as markets weighed the possibility of renewed shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
