US President Donald Trump has said Washington will temporarily halt a military operation aimed at guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing a potential breakthrough in a deal with Iran.
He indicated on his Truth Social platform that the blockade on Iran will, however, “remain in full force and effect”.
Dubbed “Operation Project Freedom”, the US plan to escort ships sailing in the strait was launched days ago, despite an Iranian blockade on the waterway.
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries... 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,” Trump said.
A US Central Command (Centcom) spokesperson previously told Al Jazeera that the military’s initiative in Hormuz was a temporary operation aimed at securing maritime transit.
The spokesperson said the plan was establishing a “safe corridor” and a “security umbrella” across the waterway, and added that the US had received positive reactions from shipowners and insurance firms.
Trump announced the operation on Sunday, which he described as a humanitarian mission to retrieve ships that had been barred from leaving the body of water by Tehran.
The US president warned Iran that any interference in the operation would result in a military response.
Following his remarks, Iran’s Fars news agency reported that its forces had struck a US warship with two missiles as it attempted to cross the waterway.
Trump denied the claim on Monday, adding that only a South Korean vessel had been hit. He said that the US had shot seven “fast” attack boats in the Gulf. Iran denied the claim.
Earlier this week, as Washington began escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Centcom said the operation was supported by more than 100 aircraft and about 15,000 personnel.
A key energy chokepoint, through which about a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas flows, the Strait of Hormuz is bordered on one side by Iran and on the other by Oman.
The closure of the waterway has resulted in the largest supply loss in history: more than 10 million barrels of oil per day and a 20 percent cut in global liquefied natural gas supply, the International Energy Agency said.
Trump's latest statement comes amid escalating tensions in the region - in spite of a ceasefire that came into effect on 8 April - with the US military claiming it targeted several Iranian vessels sailing through the strait.
Meanwhile, the Emirati defence ministry accused Iran of conducting missile and drone attacks on its territory for the second day in a row.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson rejected the accusations, saying the claims were unfounded and that Iran’s military actions were directed “exclusively” at the US.
In a statement, the ministry added that Iran would not “spare any action in taking the necessary and appropriate measures to defend its interests and national security”.
