Trump pauses Hormuz operation after one day in latest deal push
US President Donald Trump has said “Iran wants to make a deal” despite its public sabre-rattling, accusing the regime of playing “games”.
“They should do the smart thing … we don’t want to go in and kill people,” he told reporters at the White House.
This comes as the US announced it is halting military operation “Project Freedom” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, in a bid to reach a deal to end the war.
The request to pause the operation came from mediators in Pakistan and other countries, according to Trump on Truth Social.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio has also said that “Operation Epic Fury is concluded” after the US “achieved the objectives” of the war against Iran.
He told the reporters Project Freedom is “a defensive operation”, adding: “What that means is very simple — there’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first”.
Tensions had been soaring over the Hormuz operation, with the United States saying it had sunk seven Iranian boats, and several civilian vessels coming under attack, allegedly from Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran has denied that any of its combat ships had been hit in US attacks but accused the US of killing five civilian passengers on boats.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ navy has also warned of a “firm response” if any ships diverge from their approved routes through the Strait.
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