[51883] Trump announces suspension of 'Project Liberty' in the Strait of Hormuz due to progress in negotiations with Iran

Trump halts 'Project Liberty': Is an agreement with Iran taking shape?

United States President, Donald Trump, announced this morning, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, a temporary suspension of "Project Liberty" in the Strait of Hormuz. The operation, intended to allow safe passage for merchant ships in the shadow of the American blockade, was halted according to Trump at the request of Pakistan and other countries, and against the backdrop of what he defined as a "great military success" and "significant progress" toward a final agreement with Iran, as reported by Deutsche Welle (DW) in Persian.

The decision sparked mixed reactions. Robert Malley, a former senior American negotiator, responded cynically in a post quoted by Khabar-e-Fori and the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), claiming that this is a "retreat disguised as victory." At the same time, media outlets close to the regime in Tehran, such as Akharin Khabar, presented the move as a forced American retreat from its pressure policy.

Conversely, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified to Deutsche Welle (DW) in Persian that the blockade on Iranian ports remains fully in effect. Rubio noted that the US holds the "upper hand" in negotiations due to the sanctions, and that the operation was halted only as part of a complex diplomatic process. He added that the purpose of the project was the rescue of approximately 23,000 foreign citizens trapped aboard ships in the Persian Gulf.

Economic experts, as published by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), estimate that the economic pressure on the US has increased in light of the fear of oil prices rising to $140 per barrel in the event of a prolonged war, which could affect the American political system ahead of the elections. The Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, Amiri Moghadam, was quoted in Akharin Khabar warning that "those who repeat proven mistakes will certainly regret it."