Claiming ‘great progress’ in Iran talks, Trump pauses US naval escorts in Hormuz

Tehran says it wants ‘comprehensive agreement’ as FM meets with Chinese counterpart; Netanyahu said to speak with UAE president on recent Iranian attacks

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday evening he was pausing the American effort to guide stranded vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz to allow time for a deal to end the Iran war, while insisting the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place.

“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 finalized and signed,” Trump wrote on social media, referring to the naval escort operation.

He said the move was “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.”

Following Trump’s post, Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 fell 1.2%, to $108.60 a barrel, after dropping 4% in the previous session. US West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 eased 1.2% to $101.06 a barrel, after settling down 3.9% the day before.

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.

Trump’s halting of the escort operation in the strait came amid reports that he had been poised to renew attacks on Iran days earlier, but instead chose to pursue diplomacy.

After the conflict began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes, Iran effectively sealed off the strait by threatening to deploy mines, drones, missiles, and fast-attack craft, thus blocking about 20 percent of world oil supplies and igniting a global energy crisis. The United States has countered by blockading Iranian ports and mounting escorted transits for commercial vessels. Breaking Iran’s grip would deny its main source of leverage as Trump demands a major rollback of Tehran’s disputed nuclear program. A ceasefire was agreed on four weeks ago to give time for a negotiated end to the war.

On Monday, the US said it had opened a lane and sunk six small Iranian boats that had threatened commercial ships. So far, only two merchant ships are known to have passed through the new US-guarded route, with hundreds more bottled up in the Persian Gulf.

The US military’s escorts over the last day and a half drew Iranian attacks, threatening the fragile ceasefire. The United Arab Emirates, a key US ally in the Persian Gulf, said it came under attack from Iranian drones and missiles for a second day on Tuesday. Ships in the Gulf were also hit with drones.

Iran’s foreign minister said Wednesday that his country will only accept “a fair and comprehensive agreement” in its negotiations with the US on ending the war.

“We will do our best to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the negotiations,” Abbas Araghchi said in Beijing after a meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, Iranian media reported.

It was the first time since the start of the war that Araghchi traveled to China, whose close economic and political ties to Tehran give it a unique position of influence.

Araghchi did not directly address Trump’s offer of a pause in the US operation to escort ships through the strait, offered as an incentive to help reach an agreement between the two sides.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for an end to hostilities in the Middle East and for the US and Iran to reopen the strait “as soon as possible,” during the talks with his Iranian counterpart.

“China considers that a complete cessation of fighting must be achieved without delay, that it is even more unacceptable to restart hostilities, and that continuing to negotiate remains essential,” he said, according to a statement from his ministry.

Before the war, China bought more than 80% of Iran’s shipped oil, data for 2025 from analytics firm Kpler shows.

Trump is scheduled to visit China next week for talks with President Xi Jinping.

Meanwhile, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received calls from regional leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemning what they described as Iranian attacks on civilians and civilian facilities in the UAE, the state news agency WAM said.

The leaders “affirmed their countries’ solidarity with the UAE and support for measures it takes to safeguard its security and stability and ensure the safety of its citizens,” WAM added.

There was no immediate comment on the call from Netanyahu’s office. Israel has reportedly deployed a missile defense unit in the UAE, and it was said to have shot down an incoming Iranian missile on Sunday.