Trump says he has stopped efforts to divert ships from the Strait of Hormuz – National
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday evening that he was suspending the US effort to navigate the missing ships in the Strait of Hormuz to allow time for an agreement to end the war with Iran, but said that the US military blockade of Iranian ports would continue.
Trump announced the decision in a communique, saying the effort – which began on Monday in a key global energy watershed – would be paused to see if a deal could be concluded with Tehran to end the war in the Middle East.
Trump said the move was based on “the request of Pakistan and other countries, the significant military success we have had during the campaign against Iran, and, in addition, the fact that significant progress has been made on the Comprehensive and Final Agreement with Iran’s representatives.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for further details on the progress in the talks that Trump said. Negotiations are largely at a standstill despite the ongoing ceasefire that has been in place for the past month.
The United Arab Emirates, a key US ally in the Persian Gulf, said it was attacked by Iranian drones and missiles for a second day on Tuesday, as US military leaders and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted that the ceasefire was still in place and that – while the conflict was not resolved – a major US military campaign against Iran was over.
Before Trump’s announcement, Rubio told a press conference at the White House that in order to have peace, Iran must agree to Trump’s demands on its nuclear program and agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We would like a peaceful way,” Rubio said. He also expressed the hope that when Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited China on Wednesday, Beijing would once again emphasize to Tehran the need to release its hostages in this crisis.
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The US has pushed efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
Tuesday was only the second day that the US has been pushing to reopen the strait to maritime traffic – a move Rubio described as self-defense and aimed at helping thousands of civilian sailors stranded there because of the war.
“They’re sitting ducks, they’re alone, they’re starving, they’re in danger,” Rubio said. “At least 10 sailors have died as a result.”
On Monday, the US said it had opened a channel and sunk six small Iranian boats that were threatening commercial shipping. So far, only two merchant ships are known to have passed through the new US-monitored route, with hundreds more detained in the Persian Gulf.
Iran’s effective closure of the strait, through which much oil and gas passed before the war, as well as fertilizer and other petroleum products, sent fuel prices soaring and disrupted the global economy. Breaking Iran’s power would deny it a major source of energy as Trump seeks major rollbacks of Tehran’s nuclear program.
Iran says the new US effort violates the ceasefire
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chief of staff of the US military, told a press conference that Iran’s renewed attacks had not yet reached the threshold of what Caine called “major combat operations.” He said that Tuesday was a “quiet” day in this problem.
At the White House, Rubio said the conflict with Iran related to US efforts to reopen the Strait was “defensive in nature.”
“No shooting unless we are shot first, OK?” Rubio said. “We are not attacking you.”
The speaker of the Iranian parliament and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, has indicated that Iran has not fully responded to the American effort to reopen the waterway.
“We know very well that the continuation of the existing situation is intolerable for America; while we haven’t started yet,” he said on the X website. His statement did not mention the talks with the US which are now in a position to convey messages about Pakistan.
Disputing Washington’s claim of sinking six Iranian boats, Iran’s military commander said two small boats carrying people were hit on Monday, killing five people, Iranian state TV reported.
Caine, a US general who serves as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that more than 100 US military aircraft are patrolling the skies over the river. The US has imposed a shipping ban on Iranian ports since April 13, depriving Tehran of the oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
The Trump administration cited the April 8 moratorium in arguing that the president does not have to provide a formal update to Congress on the war under the War Powers Resolution. That law generally requires presidents to seek formal authorization from Congress for military operations 60 days after the start of hostilities.
Senders are always on the lookout
So far, just two civilian ships, both US-flagged merchant vessels, are known to have passed through the strait as part of the route the US says it created. Shipping company Maersk said one of them, which is an active car carrier, got out safely on Monday with the help of the US military.
Former military officials who have worked on the issue have said that opening it would be dangerous and a big challenge, even with military escort, which the US does not currently provide.
There is little room for maneuver in the waterway, which is only 21 kilometers wide, and Iran can access its entire waterway with cruise missiles. It can also target ships with long-range missiles, drones, fast attack boats and mines.
Hapag-Lloyd AG, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, said in a statement that its risk assessment “has not changed” and that transit is “currently not possible for our ships.”
Iran has attacked ships trying to sail without passing through their lane in the northern part of the road along the coast of Iran. That involves an inspection by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and in some cases a payment.
The US-approved route passes through Omani waters to the south.
“For shipping companies and insurance companies, they still have to wait and see how this plays out,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, chief analyst for Middle East risks at intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.
The UAE bore the brunt of Iran’s retaliation
The UAE Ministry of Defense said it was responding to another Iranian drone and missile attack on Tuesday, although there were no reports of damage or casualties. The previous day, it said that Emirati air defenses had intercepted 15 missiles and four drones from Iran, one of which set fire to an important oil facility, injuring three Indians.
The British military reported that two cargo ships had burned in the UAE, also on Monday.
Iran has denied that it struck the UAE “in recent days,” according to a statement by Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for Iran’s military, read Tuesday on state television.
