NEW DELHI, 6 May 2026 : US President Donald Trump has paused ‘Project Freedom’, the American military’s effort to guide stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, so that Washington could finalise a deal with Iran. The American commander-in-chief, however, said the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place even as there has been progress in negotiations with Iran toward an agreement to end the war.
“Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump claimed he was pausing the effort for a short period to give space for US efforts to finalise a settlement with Iran, even as there has been an uptick in military activity in recent days.
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” he said.
The announcement came hours after military leaders and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a ceasefire in the Middle East was still in place and that, while the conflict was not resolved, the initial major US military operation against Iran had concluded.
“The operation is over. Epic Fury — as the president notified Congress — we’re done with that stage of it,” Rubio said.
He echoed Washington’s top military officer, who earlier in the day said that US forces were ready to resume combat operations if ordered. Rubio, however, insisted that for peace to be achieved, Iran must agree to Trump’s demands on its nuclear programme and also agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy.
