Trump Abruptly Pauses ‘Project Freedom’ Hormuz Shipping Operation as Iran Talks Advance

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States is pausing its newly launched “Project Freedom” maritime operation in the Strait of Hormuz as negotiations with Iran move toward what he described as a potential “complete and final agreement.”

In a social media post, Trump said the decision followed requests from Pakistan and “other Countries” and cited both recent U.S. military operations against Iran and diplomatic progress with Iranian representatives.

“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,” Trump wrote.

The announcement marks a dramatic shift from statements from the Trump Administration just hours earlier touting Project Freedom as the first serious attempt to evacuate ships and restore limited commercial traffic through the waterway following more than two months of conflict-related disruption.

“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…” – President… pic.twitter.com/R9SlC4w68g

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 5, 2026

During a press conference earlier Tuesday, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth said that U.S. Central Command and partner nations are working with shipowners, operators, and insurers to “let them know it’s safe to move out of the gulf.”

“Project Freedom is designed to protect commercial shipping and help restore the flow of commerce through the strait and sustain freedom of navigation,” added Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, who stated there currently more than 1,500 vessels and about 22,500 mariners still inside the Gulf.

The operation had been framed by U.S. officials as a narrowly controlled defensive effort to guide stranded commercial vessels out of the Persian Gulf using an “enhanced security corridor” along Oman’s territorial waters south of the Strait’s traditional Traffic Separation Scheme. So far, only two confirmed transits have taken place under the initiative, both of which involved US-flagged ships.

“CENTCOM has established an enhanced security area on the southern side of the strait that is now protected by U.S. land, naval and air assets to help defeat further Iranian aggression against commercial shipping,” Caine said.

Fresh security incidents have continued to underscore the risks. Earlier Tuesday, UKMTO issued a new verified attack warning after a cargo vessel was reportedly struck by an “unknown projectile” in or near the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities provided no vessel details, but the advisory reinforced persistent concerns over missile, drone, and mine threats in the region.

The administration has repeatedly insisted that the Strait is not formally “closed,” but industry participants have increasingly argued that the combination of military operations, insurance withdrawals, war-risk premiums, and continuing attacks has made normal commercial navigation functionally impossible.

Trump’s latest statement appears to reinforce that assessment by acknowledging that Project Freedom itself is now being temporarily halted pending diplomatic progress.

The comments also suggest that regional powers may be pressuring Washington to avoid further escalation around Hormuz amid fears of a broader economic shock.

While Trump described progress toward an agreement with Iran, neither the White House nor Iranian officials immediately released details about the scope of any potential deal, the duration of the pause, or whether commercial shipping protections could resume if negotiations collapse.

Editorial Standards · Corrections · About gCaptain

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 106,183 members