Hint of progress in Iran deal: Trump suspends ‘Project Freedom’

Darwin, 06 May: U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the American military operation “Project Freedom,” aimed at safely escorting ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, will be temporarily suspended.

According to Trump, this decision was made on the basis of “mutual understanding” between the two sides following “significant progress” toward a possible agreement with Iran, reports BBC.

The announcement comes at a time when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the initial joint strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran—codenamed “Operation Epic Fury”—have concluded.

Rubio told reporters, “We want to choose the path of peace. The president’s (Donald Trump’s) main goal is to reach an effective agreement.”

In recent weeks, attacks on cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliatory military clashes had created intense tensions in the region.

These developments had brought the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran to the brink of collapse. The suspension is expected to help ease tensions to some extent.

However, Iranian state media have made a different claim. According to them, Trump was “forced to back down” after facing obstacles in restoring operations along this crucial global trade route. Notably, a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas passes through this narrow strait.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf issued a warning, saying, “Maintaining the current situation is becoming unbearable for America. Yet our operations have only just begun.”

“Project Freedom” was launched by Washington to escort commercial vessels safely through the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. naval protection after weeks of disruption. Although a ceasefire was declared in April, both sides have continued to accuse each other of violating the agreement.

While military officials still describe the situation as “unstable,” Trump believes that a final resolution is possible through negotiations.