The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has temporarily suspended the so-called “Project Freedom”, the naval operation promoted by Washington to escort commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while continuing to publicly defend that the war with Iran is practically over.
The decision was announced after several days of diplomatic contacts and amid a fragile truce in the region. According to Reuters, Trump justified the halting of the operation due to the “great progress” towards a possible agreement with Tehran.
The so-called “Project Liberty” had been presented by the United States as a temporary mission intended to protect commercial navigation after the attacks and threats recorded in one of the world's main energy routes. The Strait of Hormuz concentrates approximately one-fifth of the oil transported by sea globally.
The partial suspension of the operation also comes at a time when the White House is trying to convey the idea that the military conflict with Iran is entering a de-escalation phase, although tensions on the ground continue and part of the US military deployment in the Gulf remains active.
Trump insists hostilities have ended
Trump already officially stated on May 1st that the "hostilities" with Iran had "ended", in a communication sent to the US Congress coinciding with the legal deadline established by the War Powers Resolution, the rule that regulates prolonged military participation of the United States in armed conflicts without parliamentary authorization.
Since then, the US president has maintained a similar discourse in various public appearances, insisting that Washington has already achieved its military objectives and that the conflict is in the diplomatic closing phase.
However, there is no known formal peace agreement between the United States and Iran or a joint official announcement concluding the confrontation at the moment.
Furthermore, the Pentagon itself has acknowledged in recent days that the ceasefire continues to be fragile. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the “Project Liberty” was a “temporary” and “defensive” operation, separate from other Washington military operations in the region.
For his part, Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintained that the mission sought to guarantee maritime security and assured that the United States would respond solely in case of Iranian attacks.