Trump pauses Strait of Hormuz operation after progress in Iran talks

President Donald Trump paused the U.S. operation to move ships through the Strait of Hormuz just two days after launching it, saying progress in talks with Iran had opened the door to a “Complete and Final Agreement.” The suspension left in place the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, even as Washington kept pressure on Tehran at sea.

Trump had unveiled the mission, called Project Freedom, late Sunday. It took effect Monday morning and was put on hold Tuesday after what Trump described as momentum in negotiations. Trump also said Pakistan had requested the pause and had been helping mediate U.S.-Iran talks. The move came as the narrow waterway remained one of the most volatile choke points in global commerce.

The Strait of Hormuz is about 21 miles wide and normally carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil. U.S. officials said the operation had already helped two American-flagged vessels pass through the strait soon after it began. The military also said it had contacted dozens of other trapped shippers, cleared Iranian mines from a route farther from Iran’s coastline and redirected commercial traffic there.

U.S. Central Command said the effort was being backed by guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members. Administration officials said nearly 23,000 sailors aboard vessels from 87 countries had been stranded in the Persian Gulf. Marco Rubio said the mission was meant to “rescue” sailors he said had been “left for dead” by the Iranian regime, and he said at least 10 sailors had already died as a result of Iran’s blockade.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to separate the strait operation from the broader war with Iran, calling it “separate and distinct” and describing it as defensive, focused in scope and temporary. He said the United States planned to hand the mission “to the world.”

The pause came amid continuing Iranian threats. Tehran had warned that any ship transiting without its permission would be targeted, and on Monday two U.S. Navy destroyers crossing the strait faced missiles, drones and boats, though neither was hit. The U.S. said it destroyed six Iranian small boats after an attack on U.S. naval and commercial vessels. Iranian state media disputed that account and claimed it had struck an American warship, a claim Washington rejected.

Vessel traffic through the strait had fallen sharply, and global oil prices had risen as the shutdown dragged on. The pause offered the clearest signal yet that Washington sees a possible diplomatic off-ramp, even as the military posture around Hormuz stayed in place.