Donald Trump has announced a pause to US naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the move is intended to create space for a final agreement with Iran to end the war. In a social media post on Tuesday evening, the US president said he was halting “Project Freedom” – the military effort to escort merchant vessels through the waterway – for a short period. He cited “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.” Trump stressed that the US blockade of vessels leaving Iranian ports would remain in place.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio told a White House press briefing that the offensive objectives of what the administration called “Operation Epic Fury” – the military campaign launched by the US and Israel against Iran on 28 February – had concluded. The offensive stage of the war, he said, was “over”. Rubio insisted that ongoing US military action in the strait was “defensive” in nature and a separate operation, arguing that the administration does not need congressional approval to continue the war. “There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first,” he said, urging Tehran to “make the sensible choice” and negotiate. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier insisted that “Project Freedom” had allowed the US to gain control of the strait, despite Iran claiming it had strengthened its own grip on the waterway. Thousands of cargo ships remain stranded there. The ceasefire that took effect on 8 April, mediated by Pakistan, remains in doubt after both sides exchanged fire in the strait on Monday. Trump declined to define what would constitute a violation, saying only that Iran knows “what not to do”. Hegseth said the ceasefire was “not over” because the exchanges fell below the threshold for restarting major combat operations.
Diplomatic push for a deal
According to the American news website Axios, citing two US officials and two other sources briefed on the matter, the US believes it is close to agreeing a one-page memorandum of understanding with Iran to end the war. Both sides have set a framework for more detailed negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, a key sticking point in earlier talks. The US reportedly expects Iran to respond to several key points within 48 hours, and while nothing has yet been agreed, sources told Axios this is the closest the parties have been since the conflict began. Among the proposed provisions: Iran would commit to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment; the US would agree to lift sanctions and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds; and both sides would lift restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz. A Pakistani source involved in peace efforts confirmed the report to Reuters, saying: “We will close this very soon. We are getting close.”
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, travelled to Beijing on Wednesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi – his first visit to China since the war began. China’s foreign ministry said Wang urged both the US and Iran to heed international calls to reopen the strait, through which roughly 20% of global oil trade passes. The ministry also recognised Iran’s “legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy”. Araghchi described China as a close ally and said bilateral cooperation “will become stronger under current circumstances”, according to Reuters quoting Iran’s Isna news agency. “We will do our best to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the negotiations … We only accept a fair and comprehensive agreement,” he said. Wang told Araghchi that China was “deeply distressed” over the war, said a “comprehensive ceasefire is urgently needed”, and that “a resumption of hostilities is not acceptable”. The visit comes a week before Trump is due to hold talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing on 14–15 May. US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said earlier this week that the two leaders would seek to keep the US-China relationship on track after a trade truce in October. Bessent also urged China to intensify its efforts to persuade Iran to open the strait, noting Beijing’s significant energy purchases from Tehran.
Separately, Araghchi spoke by phone with Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. A statement on Araghchi’s Telegram channel said the two sides reviewed regional developments and stressed “the continuation of the path of diplomacy and cooperation between regional countries to prevent the emergence and escalation of tension”. Saudi Arabia, along with Pakistan, was among the countries Trump said had requested the pause in “Project Freedom”. Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to Trump, saying the decision would lead to a “lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability” for the region. In a post on X, Sharif thanked Trump for his “courageous leadership” and acknowledged the role of “brotherly countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my dear brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia H.R.H Prince Mohammed bin Salman”.
International reactions and continuing tensions
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez has asked the European Commission to activate its blocking statute – a legal mechanism that would allow European companies to ignore US sanctions. The request targets US sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its investigation into Israel’s actions in Gaza. Trump signed an executive order in February last year authorising aggressive economic sanctions against the ICC, accusing the body of “illegitimate and baseless actions” after it approved arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Sánchez wrote on X that “Spain does not look the other way” and that the EU “cannot remain idle in the face of this persecution”.
The United Nations has called on Israel to immediately release two activists taken from a Gaza aid flotilla. Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila were among dozens intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near Crete last Thursday. The two men are being held without charge in a prison in Ashkelon, southern Israel. UN rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said it was not a crime to show solidarity and attempt to deliver humanitarian aid, and demanded an investigation into “disturbing accounts of severe mistreatment”. The flotilla set sail from France, Spain and Italy. Representatives for the two men have accused Israeli authorities of abuse, and the activists have been on hunger strike for six days. The UN called for an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza and for sufficient humanitarian assistance to be allowed in.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defences had shot down missiles and drones from Iran for a second consecutive day on Tuesday. Tehran did not comment. On Monday the UAE reported intercepting 15 Iranian missiles and four drones, with three moderate injuries and a fire at a key energy facility in Fujairah caused by a drone strike. The UAE has stated it has been targeted by more than 2,800 missiles and drones since the conflict began.
Oil prices dropped after Axios reported that the US and Iran were close to an agreement, accelerating an earlier decline. Brent crude fell about 7% to $101.97 a barrel on Wednesday.
French shipping giant CMA CGM confirmed that one of its vessels, the CMA CGM San Antonio, was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, resulting in injuries among crew members and damage to the vessel. The injured crew were evacuated for medical care. The company had earlier reported warning shots fired at another of its vessels last month, and had indicated that 14 of its ships were stranded in the Gulf at the start of the war; one, the Kribi, exited the strait at the start of April. The UK Maritime Authority (UKMTO) separately reported a cargo vessel being struck by “an unknown projectile” in the same waterway on Tuesday.
