President of the United States Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would halt Project Freedom as Washington seeks a broader deal with Iran to end the ongoing Middle East conflict. He also cited requests for such a move from Pakistan and other countries.The operation was a U.S. military-backed initiative launched just a day earlier to escort and help stranded commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz.“Based on the requests of Pakistan and others, our tremendous military success in the campaign against the Iranian nation, and the tremendous progress we have made toward reaching a comprehensive and final agreement with Iranian representatives, we have agreed that, while the blockade will remain in full force and effect, Plan Freedom (the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be suspended for a short period to see if the agreement can be achieved,” Trump wrote in announcing his decision on the Truth Society. “It was finalized and signed.“ Despite the suspension, the United States will continue to block Iranian ports as part of efforts to force Tehran to reach a deal to end the conflict that began after the February 28 U.S.-Israeli attack.
What is the Freedom Plan?
Trump announced Project Freedom, a U.S.-led initiative to assist merchant ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints for escalating hostilities.The plan is to guide ships from countries not directly involved in the conflict safely out of the area and establish a protected corridor with U.S. Navy and Air Force assets. Trump described it as a “humanitarian gesture” aimed at helping ships and crews facing shortages of food and essential goods while ensuring that global trade flows are not severely disrupted.However, the operation also led to heightened tensions, with the United States claiming to have sunk several Iranian ships accused of threatening shipping, and reports of attacks on civilian vessels in the region.Earlier in the day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington had completed the offensive phase against Iran, known as “Operation Epic Fury.”“As the president notified Congress, the operation is over – the epic outrage. We have completed this phase,” Rubio said.He added that U.S. operations in the strait were defensive: “This is not an offensive operation; this is a defensive operation… There will be no shots fired unless we are hit first.”Rubio said the United States had achieved its war goals but stressed that Washington still favors a negotiated deal with Iran, even though tensions in the region remain high.
