President Donald Trump abandoned a US military plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday evening after top officials spent the day outlining its deployment, citing a request from mediator Pakistan and the risk of escalation in a conflict he seeks to end. The decision halted Project Freedom, which would have deployed guided-missile destroyers, over 100 aircraft, 15,000 regional personnel and drone networks to create a defensive corridor for commercial shippers.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine had described the initiative as a "powerful red, white, and blue dome" enforced by warplanes, helicopters and surveillance aircraft, with an enhanced security area on the strait’s southern side. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized it as a defensive operation, while officials said hundreds of ships from multiple nations were prepared to transit once protections were in place.

The reversal followed renewed hostilities on Monday, when US forces helped two vessels exit Hormuz while repelling Iranian drone, missile and fast-boat attacks, and Iran struck an oil terminal in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Trump said the operation would be "paused for a short period" to create space for a deal despite wide gaps between Washington and Tehran, even as commercial traffic through the strait remained near empty more than a month into the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Trump said the pause responds to a request from Pakistan and aims to avoid a flare-up similar to Monday’s clashes, as pressure mounts to end an increasingly unpopular war and reverse Iran’s control of the strait that underpins global energy flows. The US military will maintain its regional posture while diplomatic efforts proceed, with Central Command Commander Admiral Bradley Cooper and senior officials monitoring security conditions for a potential resumption of transit operations.

The White House and Pentagon will reassess the security environment and diplomatic progress in the coming days, with no set timeline for restarting Project Freedom as officials seek to balance pressure on Iran against the risk of wider conflict.