Trump says operation to reopen Strait of Hormuz will be 'paused' to facilitate efforts to end Iran war
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WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (May 5) that the US operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, dubbed "Project Freedom", will be paused for a short period to see whether an agreement can be finalised and signed, although a blockade on Iranian ports will remain in force.
"We have mutually agreed that, while the blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom ... will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the agreement can be finalised and signed," said Trump in a post on Truth Social.
He cited requests from key mediator Pakistan and other countries as one of the reasons for the pause.
The US' "tremendous military success" and "great progress" made in coming to an agreement with Iran were also factors that led to this decision, he added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the US has completed its offensive operations against Iran, even as Washington warned it was ready to unleash a "devastating" response to any new attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio's remarks came after Washington's top military officer said American forces remain ready to resume combat operations if ordered, as clashes in the vital waterway threatened to unravel a fragile ceasefire.
The warnings came after Iran's chief negotiator said Tehran "had not even started yet", following a spate of attacks in the crucial trade route.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy warned of a "firm response" if ships deviated from its approved route through the strait.
The United Arab Emirates said it was intercepting a barrage of missiles and drones from Iran for a second day - a claim Tehran "categorically" denied.
"The armed forces ... did not launch any missile or drone operation," Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya command said.
Iran fired missiles and drones at US forces on Monday, while Washington said it struck six Iranian boats it accused of threatening commercial shipping, in the sharpest escalation since a month-long truce.
US Central Command remains "ready to resume major combat operations ... if ordered," General Dan Caine told reporters.
"No adversary should mistake our current restraint with a lack of resolve."
President Donald Trump urged Iran to "do the smart thing" and make a deal, saying he did not want to kill more Iranians even as the ceasefire teetered.
He earlier dismissed the conflict as "a little skirmish", adding: "Iran has no chance."
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth had said the US was "not looking for a fight" but warned attacks would face "overwhelming and devastating" force.
"MALIGN PRESENCE"
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the status quo was "intolerable", warning the US "malign presence will diminish" as Tehran vowed to retain control of Hormuz.
Monday's exchange of fire came as the rivals enforced duelling maritime blockades following Trump's plan to guide ships out of the Gulf.
The war, sparked more than two months ago by US-Israeli strikes, has battered the global economy despite a weeks-long ceasefire.
Israel's air force chief Omer Tischler said the military was ready to "deploy the entire air force eastward if required".
Military chief Eyal Zamir added that the army remained on "high alert" and ready to respond to threats in the Gulf.
Iran denied any naval losses but accused Washington of killing five civilians aboard boats.
Despite tensions, Danish freight giant Maersk said one of its ships had transited Hormuz under US escort.
The UAE called the attacks "a dangerous escalation", while Saudi Arabia urged efforts toward a political solution.
European and US stocks advanced on Tuesday while fears that the ceasefire could fall apart weighed on Asian equities.
Talks remain deadlocked, with only one round of direct negotiations so far.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remained open to dialogue, but rejected US "maximum pressure" demands as "impossible".
Rising energy costs are adding to economic strain and creating a political headache for Trump ahead of the midterm elections.
European allies warned prolonged disruption would hit their economies.
"These attacks are unacceptable," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X, warning that Gulf security has "direct consequences for Europe".
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Iran to return to talks, echoing calls from French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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