Trump pauses effort to escort ships in Strait of Hormuz, citing deal progress
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would briefly pause an operation to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing “great progress” toward a comprehensive agreement with Iran. Hours earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had outlined the effort that began on Monday to escort stranded tankers out of the Gulf. The strait has been virtually shut since the conflict began, blocking some 20 per cent of world oil supplies and igniting a global energy crisis. “Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, 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 on his Truth Social platform. There was no immediate reaction from Tehran, where it was early on Wednesday morning. Shortly after Trump’s post, US crude oil futures fell $2.30 and broke below $100 per barrel, a much-watched threshold since the conflict sent energy prices soaring two months ago. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment on what progress had been made, or how long the pause would last. Rubio and other senior administration officials said earlier on Tuesday that Iran could not be allowed to control traffic through the strait. Iran has effectively sealed off the strait since the US-Israeli campaign began at the end of February. The US has countered by blockading Iranian ports and mounting escorted transits for commercial vessels. The US military escorts over the last day and a half — dubbed “Project Freedom” by Trump — drew Iranian attacks, threatening an already fragile ceasefire. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards