“Project Freedom” has barely started when it is stopped again: the USA suspends its escort mission for ship passages through the Strait of Hormuz for the time being.
Washington is suspending the “Project Freedom” mission to secure shipping passages through the Strait of Hormuz, which was only launched at the beginning of the week. US President Donald Trump declared on his social media platform “Truth Social” that the mission would be temporarily suspended in order to explore whether an agreement could be reached with Tehran. He cited “great progress” in the talks as well as requests from Pakistan and other countries as the reason.
However, according to Trump, the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in full force. Pakistan is currently mediating between Washington and Tehran. Initial talks between negotiators from both sides had already taken place in Islamabad on April 11, but initially failed to produce a breakthrough. One of the contentious issues is how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program.
“At the request of Pakistan and other countries, given the tremendous military success we have achieved during the campaign against Iran and the fact that great progress has been made towards a full and final agreement with Iranian representatives, we have mutually agreed that while the blockade remains in full force, Project Freedom, i.e. the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, will be suspended for a short period. This is to determine whether the agreement can be finalized and signed,” President Donald J. Trump on “Truth Social”
“Project Freedom” was only launched on Monday. According to previous information, two merchant ships, including the US-flagged car freighter “Alliance Fairfax” from Maersk subsidiary Farrell Lines, have so far been escorted through the strait. The security situation remains tense: The Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the most important routes for global energy trade, particularly for oil and LNG exports from the Persian Gulf states.
At the same time, Iran is stepping up the pressure on shipping. According to Iranian state media, a new approval procedure is to be introduced for transits through the Strait of Hormuz. This means that ship operators will receive rules for passage by email and will have to obtain approval from Iranian authorities. It initially remained unclear how the requirements would be structured in concrete terms and how Tehran intends to punish possible violations.
Bimco criticizes US approach
The short-term suspension has been criticized by the shipping industry. The fact that “Project Freedom” was stopped again shortly after its launch comes as a surprise, according to the shipping association Bimco in a statement. Although some ships had been able to leave the Persian Gulf safely during the mission, it had also become clear that passages without coordination with Iran were associated with considerable risks.
For shipowners, changes announced at short notice or unexpected changes made risk assessment and planning further departures from the Persian Gulf more difficult. According to shipping circles, the crews are still coping mentally and practically with the situation. Provisions and fuel are still available locally, albeit at higher prices.
