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The president explained he’s pausing Project Freedom to advance negotiations with Iran, but just to give you an overall idea of how quickly the White House changed course, this is what Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters earlier in the day. The operation is over. Epic fury as the president notified Congress. We’re done with that stage of it. OK. We’re now on to this project of freedom. Less than 4 hours after Rubio’s comments, President Trump said. This message announcing Project Freedom is paused for *** short period of time to see whether or not an agreement can be finalized and signed, but as tensions escalate in the region, the White House insists the ceasefire in the Middle East is holding even after the United Arab Emirates, *** key American ally, announced it was under attack by Iranian forces. Now this *** for tat continues. The president said the US blockade on Iranian ports. Along the strait will remain in effect despite Iran claiming it’s *** violation of the ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, Americans, they are certainly feeling the impacts from this war at the pump. Just yesterday, President Trump said this is *** small price to pay to ensure that Iran cannot get *** nuclear weapon. But even if this conflict ends soon, experts warn it could be *** while before markets return back to normal. In Washington, I’m Rachel Hirsheimer.
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President Trump pauses ‘Project Freedom’ less than 48 hours after launching mission to help stranded ships in Strait
President Donald Trump has temporarily halted Project Freedom, a mission to assist stranded ships in the Strait of Hormuz, to focus on advancing peace negotiations with Iran.
President Donald Trump paused Project Freedom, a program aimed at helping stranded ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, less than two days after its launch. He says finalizing a peace agreement with Iran is a bigger priority.Trump wrote on social media that stopping the effort was “Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran.”The president also said the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz would remain in effect, despite Iran’s claims that the blockade violates the ceasefire agreement.Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, praised Trump’s decision, writing on social media, “President Trump’s gracious response to the request made by Pakistan and other brotherly countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my dear brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia H.R.H Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period.”The reversal was a sudden shift as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the president himself extolled the benefits of Project Freedom throughout Tuesday.Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who hosted a press briefing while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is on maternity leave, told reporters hours before the pause, “The operation is over, Epic Fury, as the president notified Congress, we’re done with that stage of it. We’re now onto this project of freedom.”Rubio underscored that Project Freedom is a defensive mission.”This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple. There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first,” Rubio said.Hegseth delivered a similar message Tuesday morning at the Pentagon. “To be clear, this operation is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury. Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission: protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression,” Hegseth said.Trump told reporters on Tuesday morning that Project Freedom will help bring down gas prices. “People don’t realize some of these tankers hold 2 million barrels. One of them holds 4 million, I think it’s the largest one in the world. That sucker is big. I’ve never seen anything like it, a ship that’s bigger than aircraft carriers. And, yeah, it has a big impact, it’s so much,” Trump said.According to AAA, as of Wednesday, the average price of a regular gallon of gasoline is $4.54 and diesel is $5.67. Both are continuing to rise as prices are approaching records of $5.02 and $5.82, respectively, set during the summer of 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.Trump characterized higher fuel prices as “a very small price to pay for getting rid of a nuclear weapon from people that are really mentally deranged.”Experts caution that even after the conflict ends, it could take time for markets to stabilize. The Trump administration suggests prices will fall instantaneously.As tensions escalate in the region, the White House insists the ceasefire in the Middle East is holding, even after the United Arab Emirates, a key U.S. ally, announced Iran attacked it on Monday. Iranian forces also attacked U.S. military and commercial ships in the region.Asked whether the attacks mean the ceasefire is being violated, Trump said, “Well, you’ll find out, because I’ll let you know. They know what to do — and they know what to do and they know what not to do, more importantly, actually.”Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
President Donald Trump paused Project Freedom, a program aimed at helping stranded ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, less than two days after its launch. He says finalizing a peace agreement with Iran is a bigger priority.
Trump wrote on social media that stopping the effort was “Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran.”
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The president also said the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz would remain in effect, despite Iran’s claims that the blockade violates the ceasefire agreement.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, praised Trump’s decision, writing on social media, “President Trump’s gracious response to the request made by Pakistan and other brotherly countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my dear brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia H.R.H Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period.”
The reversal was a sudden shift as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the president himself extolled the benefits of Project Freedom throughout Tuesday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who hosted a press briefing while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is on maternity leave, told reporters hours before the pause, “The operation is over, Epic Fury, as the president notified Congress, we’re done with that stage of it. We’re now onto this project of freedom.”
Rubio underscored that Project Freedom is a defensive mission.
“This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple. There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first,” Rubio said.
Hegseth delivered a similar message Tuesday morning at the Pentagon.
“To be clear, this operation is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury. Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission: protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression,” Hegseth said.
Trump told reporters on Tuesday morning that Project Freedom will help bring down gas prices.
“People don’t realize some of these tankers hold 2 million barrels. One of them holds 4 million, I think it’s the largest one in the world. That sucker is big. I’ve never seen anything like it, a ship that’s bigger than aircraft carriers. And, yeah, it has a big impact, it’s so much,” Trump said.
According to AAA, as of Wednesday, the average price of a regular gallon of gasoline is $4.54 and diesel is $5.67. Both are continuing to rise as prices are approaching records of $5.02 and $5.82, respectively, set during the summer of 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Trump characterized higher fuel prices as “a very small price to pay for getting rid of a nuclear weapon from people that are really mentally deranged.”
Experts caution that even after the conflict ends, it could take time for markets to stabilize. The Trump administration suggests prices will fall instantaneously.
As tensions escalate in the region, the White House insists the ceasefire in the Middle East is holding, even after the United Arab Emirates, a key U.S. ally, announced Iran attacked it on Monday. Iranian forces also attacked U.S. military and commercial ships in the region.
Asked whether the attacks mean the ceasefire is being violated, Trump said, “Well, you’ll find out, because I’ll let you know. They know what to do — and they know what to do and they know what not to do, more importantly, actually.”
Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
