US President Donald Trump has announced that the operation to escort ships remaining in the Persian Gulf will be suspended for a “short period of time” to assess the possibility of concluding a peace agreement with Tehran.
According to him, the “Freedom” project will be suspended at the request of Pakistan and other countries acting as mediators in the negotiations.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the decision was made in connection with the “tremendous military successes” and the “significant progress” recorded in reaching a peace agreement with Iran.
“While the blockade is in force, the ‘Freedom’ project (the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be suspended for a short period of time to determine whether it is possible to complete and sign the agreement,” he added.
Against the backdrop of Trump’s statements, oil prices fell slightly in Asian trading on Wednesday morning.
Iranian state media said the suspension of the operation was evidence that Trump had “backed down” after a series of failures in his attempts to unblock the waterway, which is vital to global shipping.
