United States President Donald Trump said he will temporarily pause a military operation aimed at escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, citing progress in negotiations with Iran.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), Trump announced that “Project Freedom”, launched just one day earlier, would be halted as diplomatic efforts advance.
The operation had been designed to guide ships stranded in the Persian Gulf amid escalating conflict.
Trump said the decision was based in part on “the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement” with Iran.
He added that Project Freedom “will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalised and signed”.
The announcement lifted investor sentiment, with stock futures moving higher on hopes that a potential agreement could bring an end to the U.S.-Israeli conflict involving Iran and allow the reopening of the strategically critical waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy and trade flows, has been effectively closed since the outbreak of hostilities, severely disrupting shipping activity.
According to the Trump administration, nearly 23,000 sailors across vessels from 87 countries have been stranded in the region.
Trump first unveiled Project Freedom on Sunday evening, stating that the United States would ensure safe passage for affected ships, promising to “guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways”.
U.S. Central Command had outlined a significant military deployment to support the mission, including guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned systems, and approximately 15,000 service personnel.
