Trump declares pause in operation to remove neutral ships from Strait of Hormuz

The US President Donald Trump has suspended the operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz amid negotiations with Iran.

Trump wrote about this on his social network Truth Social.

According to the president, the decision was made at the request of Pakistan and other countries, as well as due to "significant progress" in negotiations on a possible deal with Iran.

"We have agreed that while the blockade will remain in full force, Project Freedom will be suspended for a short time to see if a deal can be finalized and signed," Trump wrote.

He did not elaborate on the details of the potential agreement, its participants or the duration of the pause. At the same time, he said, the naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in place.

The US operation Project Freedom was reported on May 3. It involves escorting commercial vessels through the strait, which Iran has partially blocked. As early as May 4, American destroyers began escorting ships through the key trade route.

According to the International Maritime Organization, nearly 2 000 vessels with approximately 20 000 sailors on board remain blocked in the region.

War in the Middle East and negotiations between Iran and the US

On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials.

Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, began shelling Arab countries and Israel. The war also halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. It was through it that almost a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports passed — tens of millions of barrels a day.

On April 8, the parties agreed to a two-week ceasefire. On April 13, the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, demanding the complete unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz for all ships.

On April 17, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, after which Iran unblocked the Strait of Hormuz. However, on April 18, Iran reported that it was again blocking the Strait of Hormuz due to the US naval blockade. On the same day, Iran fired on several ships attempting to pass through the strait.

On April 19, Donald Trump announced that his representatives would go to Pakistan for talks. But Iran refused to send its delegation. The Foreign Ministry noted that the US had violated the ceasefire, and Iran "cannot forget the US attacks on it during previous talks".

On April 21, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had extended the truce with Iran until the Iranians submitted their proposals and concluded discussions. And on May 1, Axios wrote, citing a letter from Trump to House Speaker Mike Johnson, that Trump considered the war over.

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