President Donald Trump announced a pause in the recently launched American initiative aimed at assisting ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump had stated that the „Project Freedom” initiative was a humanitarian gesture „meant to free people, companies, and countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong.” Iran declared that ships can only pass through this crucial maritime route with its authorization.
Trump announced the new initiative on Sunday, and it was launched on Monday. Since then, the Iranian military claimed to have fired on American warships to deter them from sailing through this route, while the US alleges they sank small boats – thus threatening a ceasefire intended to end the war.
Then, on Tuesday, Trump stated that the initiative would be put on hold "for a short period" to see if the US and Iran can reach an agreement.
BBC explores what "Project Freedom" entails and the concerns regarding the possibility of it leading to a broader resumption of hostilities.
How is the US military implementing this initiative?
The Strait of Hormuz has remained largely blocked since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28 – and Tehran responded by blocking this vital route through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas should flow freely.
The US claims that there are 22,500 sailors aboard 1,550 commercial vessels stranded in the Gulf.
There are growing concerns about dwindling supplies and the effects on the physical and mental health of the sailors.
The United States Central Command (Centcom) stated that "guided-missile destroyers, over 100 aircraft operating on land and at sea, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 troops" were used to support the operation.
In a briefing on the first day of the operation, Centcom commander Brad Cooper stated that ships from 87 countries were stranded in the Gulf – and the US contacted "dozens of ships and shipping companies to encourage the resumption of traffic."
It was not clear at the time of the operation's announcement whether the US would attempt to provide military escort to the stranded ships.
Mick Mulroy, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and Marine Corps veteran, told the BBC that the US military would likely focus more on air cover and defense against drone or missile attacks rather than physically escorting ships.
"The question is whether ships will trust that they can pass without being attacked and, more importantly, whether insurance companies will trust," he said, before the operation was put on hold.
Tim Wilkins, Managing Director at Intertanko, a commercial organization representing independent tanker owners and operators, told the BBC that the Trump administration had not established any coordination mechanism for the operation, leaving members concerned about the safety of transiting the strait.
Do ships pass through the strait?
On Monday afternoon, the United States Central Command (Centcom) stated that US Navy destroyers equipped with guided missiles were operating in the Gulf, "after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom."
It added that US forces are "actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial maritime shipping," but did not provide details.
"As a first step, two commercial ships flying the American flag successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz and are continuing their journey safely," Centcom further stated. Again, no details were given about the identity of these ships.
Shipping company Maersk confirmed that one of its vessels managed to exit the Gulf, escorted by the US military.
However, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied that any ship had crossed the strait.
For now, with the support operation for guiding ships on hold, it is unclear if more vessels will be able to transit the area.
Is Iran firing at American warships and other ships?
Hours before the US operation was set to begin on Monday, the Iranian military claimed to have opened fire on "American and Zionist enemy destroyers," which they said the Americans "ignored."
The United States Central Command (Centcom) quickly refuted Iran's claims that a warship had been hit by two missiles. However, it confirmed that Iran had launched cruise missiles at both American warships and commercial ships flying the American flag, while drones and small boats were used against commercial vessels.
The United Arab Emirates – a US Gulf ally frequently targeted by Iran during the war – stated that a tanker affiliated with the state-owned Adnoc was targeted by two drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
No one was injured, the country's Foreign Ministry stated in a release. Additionally, at least three rocket interceptions were reported.
One strike targeted a South Korean cargo ship anchored in the strait near the UAE.
Centcom commander Brad Cooper stated that some of the American attack helicopters supporting the mission were used to sink six small Iranian boats targeting civilian ships. Iran denied this.
Iran insisted it would take "decisive measures" against ships not using the regime's approved route through the strait.
The country's chief negotiator accused the US of jeopardizing maritime transport security by blockading Iranian ports.
Is the war with Iran resuming?
When Trump announced the pause in the initiative on social media on Tuesday, he stated that "great progress" had been made toward "a comprehensive and final agreement" with Iran.
He asserted that the Strait of Hormuz would remain blocked during this pause. The White House did not provide BBC with further details regarding the president's message.
Iranian state media stated that the pause demonstrates that Trump "has retreated" after "continuous failures" in his efforts to reopen this vital route for global maritime transport.
Grant Rumley, a Middle East expert who served as an advisor to both the Biden and Trump administrations from 2018 to 2021, said that the plan to ensure ships' passage through the Gulf would be "very, very difficult."
Before the initiative was put on hold, he noted that such an operation would likely require a stronger military option.
"I think there is a general consensus that the resumption of hostilities is a matter of when," he said. "Not if."
Nitya Labh, a researcher at Chatham House's International Security Program in London, stated that the US operation is "extremely risky" and "quite inflammatory."
She added that if Donald Trump's "Project Freedom" were to successfully remove some ships from the Strait of Hormuz, "it would be at most a temporary relief" – requiring a more sustained effort to reopen this vital route.
In a Tuesday briefing, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked if US operations in the strait meant the ceasefire was over. "No, the ceasefire is not over," he said. "This is a separate and distinct project."