Trump puts ‘Project Freedom’ on hold, saying he hopes to finalise a deal with Iran

US president says he is pausing US effort to guide stranded vessels out of the strait of Hormuz but blockade remains

Oil tankers sit at anchor offshore in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)

Donald Trump announced he is pausing ‘Project Freedom’, the US effort to guide stranded vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz, so he can finalise a deal with Iran, but added that his blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place.

Mr Trump’s abrupt change of plan was declared in a social media post, saying he was pausing the effort for “a short period” to give space for US efforts to finalise a settlement with Iran to end the war.