Washington: President Donald Trump revealed that the US has temporarily halted its military effort to extract stuck vessels from the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump shared the update on Tuesday on Truth Social, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The pause stems from “the request” of Pakistan and other nations, plus “the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement” with Iranian officials, he explained.
“We have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” he posted.
Iran offered no immediate response.
This comes against a backdrop of intensifying tensions in the Gulf region, with US forces reporting the destruction of several Iranian boats in the strait, plus cruise missiles and drones. The United Arab Emirates noted its air defences intercepted missile and drone incursions from Iran for the second consecutive day, even as another commercial vessel in the strait was damaged by an “unknown projectile.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) countered by issuing a revised map of the strait that markedly extends areas under its authority, urging vessels on Tuesday to confine themselves to specified corridors or prepare for a “decisive response.”
Rubio Defends US Stance On Strait Access
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that America has concluded its aggressive campaign against Iran, known as “Operation Epic Fury,” emphasizing “there’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first.”
“The Straits of Hormuz do not belong to Iran. They don’t have a right to shut it down and blow up ships and lay mines,” Rubio asserted firmly.
“Under no circumstances can we live in a world where we accept, ‘OK, this is normal – you have to coordinate with Iran. You have to pay them a toll in order to go through the Straits of Hormuz’. Not only is that
unacceptable in the straits, you’re creating a precedent that could be repeated in multiple other places around the world,” he warned, highlighting the broader geopolitical risks.
This indispensable maritime artery, which channels roughly one-fifth of the world’s energy supplies in normal times, has stayed effectively closed off by Iran ever since the US and Israel initiated hostilities against the country on February 28. In the wake of an April ceasefire, Washington rolled out its counter-blockade on Iranian ports, designed to leverage Pakistan-mediated negotiations toward key demands like reopening the waterway and fully ceasing nuclear enrichment activities.
The prolonged closure has rippled through global markets, catapulting oil and fertilizer prices to new heights and igniting concerns over a potential worldwide recession alongside acute food supply emergencies in vulnerable regions.
Trump Claims Iran Ready To Fold
Speaking to reporters at the White House earlier on Tuesday, Trump argued that America’s combined military and economic leverage is compelling Tehran to negotiate, even as Iranian leaders maintain a facade of resistance publicly.
“Iran wants to make a deal. What I don’t like about Iran is they’ll talk to me with such great respect, and then they’ll go on television. They’ll say, ‘We did not speak to the president’,” he observed. “So they play games. But let me just tell you, they want to make a deal. And who wouldn’t? When your military is totally gone, we could do anything we want to them.”
With domestic pressures mounting from surging petrol prices in the lead-up to pivotal midterm elections, Trump further belittled Iran’s diminished capabilities, calling their remaining firepower mere “peashooters.”
Pressed on what might trigger a ceasefire violation, he replied succinctly: “They know what not to do.”
‘Truce Intact For Now’
At the Pentagon, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth insisted the latest flare-ups in the Strait of Hormuz fail to undermine the
truce now in its fourth week.
“American forces won’t need to enter Iranian waters. It’s not necessary. We’re not looking for a fight. But Iran cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from international waterways,” he emphasized.
“Right now, the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching very, very closely,” Hegseth added, signaling heightened vigilance.