Trump has, in effect, walked back the idea of escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The “Project Freedom” operation, announced over the weekend, has been temporarily suspended.
The decision, the president said, was taken after appeals from Pakistan and a number of other countries, as well as against the backdrop of the United States’ “tremendous military success” during the campaign against Iran and progress in talks with Tehran.
The naval blockade of Iran, however, remains in place, Trump said. The pause, he added, is intended to test whether an agreement with the Iranian side can be brought to a final conclusion.
Meanwhile, after the operation was announced, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in fact never resumed. Iran made clear that without co-ordination with its government, no vessels would be allowed through. The ships that attempted to transit the strait after Trump’s announcement of “Project Freedom” came under direct fire. Strikes were also carried out against the UAE. No retaliatory action followed from the Americans.
Apparently, Trump chose to pull back in order to avoid pushing the situation towards a renewed full-scale war.
At the same time, media reports circulated the previous day saying that the United States and Israel were preparing to resume the war. There is still no clear confirmation of that.
One way or another, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Yet another US attempt to unblock it has, in effect, failed.