Trump Launches 'Project Freedom' to Escort Ships Through Hormuz, Then Pauses It a Day Later

Trump announced Operation Project Freedom on May 4, a U.S. military effort to escort merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian attacks on shipping. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was meant to rescue 23,000 civilians from 87 countries stranded in the Persian Gulf; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called it "defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration." On the first day an oil tanker was hit by projectiles. On May 5 a French CMA CGM vessel attempting to cross without Iranian approval was struck and damaged, and Trump announced a pause, citing a "mutual agreement" and progress in negotiations.

The New York Times reported a different explanation for the pause: Saudi Arabia had denied U.S. airspace and basing access, with Saudi officials saying the operation was not well thought out and risked escalation. Kuwait also declined access. The gap between the stated rationale and the reported allied refusal goes to how the administration characterized a military commitment to the public and to Congress.

The pause did not hold; U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the strait on May 7. By mid-June, Hegseth said the operation had "never stopped."