Two days after President Donald Trump’s effort to open the Strait of Hormuz began, it has been put on pause.
Trump explained in a Tuesday evening post on Truth Social that in suspending the operation dubbed “Project Freedom,” he was acting “on the request of Pakistan and other Countries.”
Trump also noted his move was based on “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.”
With that as the backdrop, Trump wrote, “we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed.”
By Wednesday morning, the wind had veered, as it often does in negotiations with Iran.
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end,” Trump wrote in a new post.
Trump said that his “highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran.”
But there was a catch. “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” he wrote.
According to a report from Axios, U.S. and Iranian negotiators are closing in on an agreement that can be contained in a one-page memo, with the details to be filled in later.
The deal would end nuclear enrichment in Iran and open the Strait of Hormuz, sources told Axios.
The Trump administration would lift sanctions against Iran and release Iranian funds the U.S. has frozen, the report said.
The report noted that internal political divisions Iran are such that it is unclear whether even the broad-brush deal that creates a 30-day period for a final agreement would receive Iranian government approval.
🚨 BREAKING:
🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump says if Iran agrees to the deal, the war ends and the Strait opens to all. If not, the bombing resumes at a higher intensity than before.
– Trump calls it “a big assumption” that Iran will follow through
– The Strait of Hormuz would reopen to all… https://t.co/pZx9dhIHS2 pic.twitter.com/KQZEiklPz1— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 6, 2026
Under the proposed deal, Iran would agree to never seek a nuclear weapon or operate underground nuclear labs. Iran would also agree to enhanced inspections.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that “we don’t have to have the actual agreement written in one day,” according to Axios.
“This is highly complex and technical. But we have to have a diplomatic solution that is very clear on the topics they are willing to negotiate on and the extent of the concessions they are willing to make at the front end in order to make it worthwhile,” he said.
Rubio noted the difficulty of striking a deal with Iran, saying some Iranian leaders were “insane in the brain.”
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