Just two days after the launch of the American operation “Project Freedom,” which aimed to break the Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and ensure the free passage of commercial ships and tankers from the Persian Gulf, Donald Trump announced its suspension, citing “significant progress” in negotiations with Iran and related requests from Pakistan and other countries.

In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said the decision was made “at the request of Pakistan and other countries” and due to what he described as “major progress toward a final agreement with Iranian representatives in the negotiations.”

“We have agreed that as long as the blockade continues, Operation ‘Project Freedom’ will be temporarily suspended to determine whether an agreement can be reached that we will be able to sign,” the US president wrote.

Unclear how maritime traffic will be restored

So far, the White House has not provided further details on the progress of the talks cited by Trump, while a spokesperson for the US Central Command (CENTCOM) referred to the presidential announcements when asked by the New York Times about the sudden suspension of the operation.

At the same time, it has not been clarified how maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will now function, nor how the more than 1,500 ships in the area will be able to “unblock,” as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continues to strike those attempting to do so. Iran also announced the establishment of a new authority that will approve ship transit through the area.

Specifically, according to Iranian media, Tehran has introduced an approval process via the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority.” Under this system, ships are required to submit applications, pay fees, and receive approval before passage, according to reports by the Tasnim News Agency.

Celebrations in Tehran

Trump’s announcement triggered immediate reactions in Iranian state media, which presented the development as a political retreat by Washington.

The newspaper Kayhan, considered a key mouthpiece of the Tehran regime, rushed to portray the US announcement as an Iranian achievement: “Trump withdraws from the ‘Freedom Project’ operation in the Strait of Hormuz. Following Iran’s firm positions and warnings and the US failure to achieve its goals, Trump announced the temporary suspension.”

The Iranian news agency Fars followed the same line, calling the suspension of the “Freedom Project” “another retreat by Trump.” The Tasnim News Agency claimed: “Trump backed down, the questionable ‘Freedom Project’ has been suspended.”

ISNA also aligned with the victory narrative, stressing that the US decision was taken “after Iran’s firm positions and warnings and the failure of the US to achieve its goals within the framework of the ‘Freedom Project.’”

The conservative Iranian outlet Al-Mashhari also presented the suspension “as a continuation of US failures in dealing with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” claiming Trump attempted “to cover up the failure of the plan and made false claims.”

Thus, Tehran is already trying to shape a sense of victory—according to which this is not a temporary suspension for negotiations, but an American retreat under pressure.

“We are not seeking confrontation”

A few hours before Trump’s announcement, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had stated that Operation “Project Freedom” is separate from the US military operation “Epic Fury” against Iran.

He said it is a “temporary operation” aimed at protecting maritime navigation from Iranian attacks. “We are not seeking confrontation,” he emphasized, while warning that any further attacks on ships would be met with “overwhelming firepower.”

However, US officials did not stop there. Later the same day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that “Epic Fury” had effectively ended, as the US had achieved its objectives and only the Strait operation remained active.

Despite escalation attempts by Tehran, including attacks on ships and the United Arab Emirates, Trump avoided describing the situation as a violation of the ceasefire. In a recent interview, he estimated the conflict could last another “two or three weeks,” while reiterating that enriched uranium held by Tehran is “worthless,” insisting that the US continues to demand its full abandonment.

The US president did not rule out a return to military operations but appeared less inclined toward immediate escalation.

“Either we reach a good deal or we win easily. Militarily we have already won,” he said, adding that Iran’s fleet has essentially been destroyed. “Iran had 159 ships and now it has none—all are at the bottom of the sea,” he claimed.

Trump also stressed that the United States is not operating under time pressure and insisted that the military operation enjoys broad domestic support, despite polls showing that most Americans consider the war a mistake.

Operation “Project Freedom” had been presented by the White House as a “humanitarian mission,” aimed at escorting and safely extracting commercial vessels and tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf since the outbreak of hostilities.