Trump pauses U.S. effort to guide vessels through Strait of Hormuz in bid to make deal with Iran

chairman Donald ruff says that he has paused the U.S. Travail to steer stranded vessels come out of the Strait of Hormuz in order to finalize an Iran deal.

Trump announced the decision in a social media post on Tuesday evening, saying he was pausing it for a short period to give space for U.S. Efforts to finalize a settlement with Iran.

Trump in the post said he was making the move based "on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, 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."

He added that the U.S. Blockade of Iran's ports would remain in place.

"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," he wrote.

Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued on Tuesday that the United States has achieved its objectives in its military campaign against Iran, despite not yet securing Tehran's enriched ‌uranium, and that the effort to ensure safe passage for oil transit in the Strait of Hormuz was a separate, smaller, defensive operation.

His comments about the short-lived U.S. Effort appeared aimed at blunting criticism from members of Congress who argue that Trump has effectively violated ​provisions of the War Powers Resolution, a 1973 law that allows the president 60 days ​to wage military action before ending it.

The Iran war began with airstrikes launched by Israel and the United States on Feb. 28.

Trump formally notified Congress of the conflict 48 hours later, triggering a 60-day deadline, which was last Friday, to end the war or ​make the case to Congress for extending it.

The White House got around the requirement by declaring on Friday that hostilities under Operation ⁠Epic Fury had terminated, and Rubio amplified that ⁠argument today.

"The operation is over. Epic Fury — as the president notified Congress — we're done with that stage of it," he said. "We're now onto this Project of Freedom."

Rubio insisted the ​U.S. Was taking only defensive action in enforcing its blockade of Iranian ports.

"We are only responding if ​attacked first. This is a defensive operation," Rubio said. "If no shots ⁠are fired at these ⁠ships and no shots are fired at us, we're ‌not firing shots. But if we're fired on we will respond."

Rubio said the United States has been in touch with a number of ships about helping to guide them out of the strait, echoing remarks made earlier Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Until Israel and the U.S. Attacked Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was fully open.

So far only two vessels, both of them American-flagged merchant ships, are known to have passed through since Iran effectively shut down the strait.

Why ships may balk at U.S. Offer to guide them through Hormuz Strait

Ten civilian sailors have died due to the ongoing conflict in the strait, Rubio ‌said, adding that the U.S. Would continue to deploy its assets to defend freedom of navigation in the key thoroughfare.

Before ‌the U.S. And Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, about 20 per cent of global oil supplies passed through the strait daily. Hundreds of vessels with thousands of sailors on board have been stranded for weeks in the Persian Gulf.

"They're isolated, they're starving, they're vulnerable and at least 10 sailors have died as a result, ​civilian sailors," Rubio said, without providing additional details.

The United Arab ⁠Emirates also said it was under attack from Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday, even as Washington said a shaky ceasefire was intact.

Rubio said it was time for Tehran to "accept the reality of the situation," adding that U.S. Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were continuing to explore ​a diplomatic solution.

That solution had to address any nuclear material that Iran still had buried "deep somewhere," Rubio said.

"The president's been clear ⁠that part of the negotiation process has to be not just the enrichment, but what happens ⁠to this material that's buried deep somewhere that they still have access to if they ever ⁠wanted ⁠to dig it out," he said.

Rubio ​declined to provide details on what progress had been made and said the actual agreement would not need ​to be written out in ⁠one day.

"This is highly complex, and highly technical, but we have to have a diplomatic solution that is very clear about the topics that they are willing to negotiate on and the extent and the concessions they are willing to make at the front end in order to make those talks worthwhile," he ⁠said.

U.S. Says ceasefire with Iran holds despite attacks; both sides claim control of Strait of Hormuz

As Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prepares to visit China on Wednesday, Rubio says that he hopes Tehran's allies in Beijing reiterate the need for Iran to release its chokehold on the critical waterway as the fragile ceasefire continues.

"I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told," Rubio said in response to a reporter's question about the upcoming visit. "And that is that what you are doing in the strait is causing you to be globally isolated. You're the bad guy in this."

The secretary went on to argue that China, more than the U.S., is suffering for Iran's actions in the strait, saying that the world power is an export-driven economy that depends on shipments going through Hormuz.

"It is in China's interest that Iran stop closing the strait," he added.

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