Trump Temporarily Halts Project Freedom, Here’s Why

Based on requests from Pakistan and other countries, the extraordinary military success we have achieved during the campaign against the Iranian state, and furthermore, the fact that significant progress has been made towards a complete and final agreement with Iranian representatives, we have agreed together,” Trump stated on Truth Social, as reported by CNN on Wednesday (6/5/2026). “While the blockade will remain fully in effect, Project Freedom (Ship Movement through the Strait of Hormuz) will be temporarily halted for a short period to see if the Agreement can be completed and signed,” he continued. Project Freedom was only announced by Trump on Sunday local time, and the operation only took effect on Monday (4/5). Shortly afterwards, the US military and Iran exchanged fire and accusations, raising questions about the fragile ceasefire. However, Trump administration officials insist that the ceasefire has not ended and spent the day promoting the new operation to guide ships through the strait. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at the White House that the US is focused on the new operation, which he described as the “first step” towards fully reopening the vital waterway. Meanwhile, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the effort is “separate and distinct” from ongoing military operations in the region. “Project Freedom is defensive, limited in scope and temporary, with one mission: to protect innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression,” Hegseth stated.