U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (May 5, 2026) halted the military component of 'Project Freedom,' a one-day-old operation to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, in an effort to advance negotiations with Iran and end the West Asia conflict. The operation began the previous day amid heightened tensions after Iran seized control of the strategic chokepoint in response to earlier attacks.

Senator Marco Rubio confirmed that offensive U.S. operations against Iran, codenamed 'Epic Fury,' had concluded, stating, 'The operation is over -- as the president notified Congress. We’re done with that stage of it.' The White House emphasized the pause was strategic, aimed at creating space for diplomatic progress, though no formal agreement has been reached.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint, with Iran's control over parts of the waterway disrupting shipping routes. The U.S. has not ruled out resuming operations if negotiations falter, but for now, the focus shifts to backchannel diplomacy. The State Department is expected to release a statement on the next steps in the peace process by Thursday.