In a social media post, Trump said the escorts would be halted for a short period while the United States and its allies pursue a broader agreement to end the war with Iran.
The abrupt reversal put a hold on what the administration had called Project Freedom, a military operation Trump described on Sunday as a commitment to guide vessels from neutral countries through the strategic waterway. The president said the decision came in response to a request from Pakistan, a key mediator in peace talks, and other nations. He did not specify when the pause would end or what it meant for U.S. Navy forces already deployed in the region.
Just hours before Trump’s post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Trump had answered calls from allies to rescue as many as 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries trapped in the waterway. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said at a Tuesday morning press conference that Project Freedom was defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration. He insisted the escort mission was separate from Epic Fury, the military’s broader operation in Iran.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Pentagon deferred questions to U.S. Central Command, which also did not respond. Trump’s announcement is the latest instance of the president undercutting high-ranking surrogates with a social media post, leaving officials to explain a policy shift in real time.
Fragile Ceasefire Complicates Military Posture
The United States agreed to a temporary ceasefire with Iran last month, but the agreement has not halted hostilities entirely. Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine said Iran has fired on commercial vessels nine times and engaged with U.S. forces more than 10 times since the ceasefire took effect, in addition to seizing two container ships. The U.S. attacked six small Iranian boats on Monday after Tehran targeted Navy ships, according to Adm. Bradley Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command.
Iran has demanded that the U.S. lift its blockade of Iranian ports before it negotiates an end to its nuclear program. Trump did not address the blockade in his social media post, nor did he clarify whether the pause on escorts signaled a shift in that policy. Caine said Iran’s willingness to fire on ships did not constitute a resumption of hostilities and fell below the threshold of restarting major combat operations.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes, has long been a flashpoint in U.S. Iranian tensions. Trump’s decision to pause the escort mission leaves the fate of the stranded civilians and the broader military posture in the region uncertain as diplomatic efforts continue.
