Iran likely to characterise pause of Project Freedom as a victorypublished at 05:33 BST
05:33 BST
Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter
Donald Trump’s post announcing a “pause” in Project Freedom will come as a surprise to many.
It undercuts a day’s worth of messaging from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, defence secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine – all of whom vowed that the operation will ensure freedom of navigation and commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf.
What happens next is unclear.
Earlier, it was made clear that Project Freedom is a “separate and distinct” campaign from the blockade, which is meant to pressure Iran economically.
Project Freedom was meant to help restore the flow of oil from the region and the eventual return to normality of the global economy.
If during the “pause” global shipping firms and the insurance companies that work with them feel as though they are unable to move because of Iranian interference, that objective will be very difficult for Trump to claim has been achieved.
On the other hand, the administration will hope that the freeze in Project Freedom – which the Iranians strongly objected to – is seen as a gesture that helps bring them to the negotiating table again.
In the meantime, Iran will very likely characterise the pause as a victory.