Trump pauses Strait of Hormuz escort mission amid Iran talks

The one-day-old U.S. escort mission through the Strait of Hormuz was put on hold, a move that could give diplomacy room to work while leaving shippers, insurers and energy markets facing another round of uncertainty. President Trump said the pause was temporary and aimed at giving talks with Iran a chance to produce a “complete and final agreement.”

Trump said the decision followed what he described as “great progress” and came in part at the request of Pakistan and other countries involved in mediation. The operation, called Project Freedom, had begun on May 4 to help move commercial ships through the strait after Iran’s de facto closure of the waterway stranded nearly 23,000 sailors aboard vessels flying the flags of 87 countries. Before the conflict, about 20% of the world’s oil crossed the Strait of Hormuz each day, along with roughly 138 ships.

U.S. Central Command had dispatched guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and about 15,000 service members to support the mission. U.S. officials said two American commercial ships escorted by destroyers had already transited safely before the pause was announced. Even so, the operation immediately ran into fresh danger, with U.S. officials saying Iran launched missiles, drones and small boats at U.S.-protected vessels.

The security picture remained volatile across the Gulf. The United Arab Emirates said it was attacked for a second straight day and reported three injuries, while a South Korean-operated cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz caught fire. South Korea said 24 crew members were aboard and no casualties were reported. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S.-Iran ceasefire “certainly holds” for now and called Project Freedom a separate, temporary operation.

The pause underscores the administration’s wager that limited military protection can be folded back if diplomacy advances. But it also highlights the central problem for commerce: even if warships can shepherd ships through the strait, insurers and shipping companies may still judge the route too dangerous to use at scale. For global trade, the difference between a final accord and a temporary halt may be measured in premium spikes, rerouted cargo and the return of risk to the world’s most important oil chokepoint.