Trump cancels Project Freedom without freeing anyone

Donald Trump has paused the US military’s ‘Project Freedom’, without freeing a single person or ship from the Strait of Hormuz. 

“We have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed…” – President… pic.twitter.com/R9SlC4w68g

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 5, 2026

The project was supposed to break Iranian control of the waterway and allow commercial strips through.

Of course, like any Trump project, it has spectacularly failed.

Trump, where’s the ‘great progress’?

Trump claims he has paused the project because the US has made “great progress” towards a “complete and final agreement” with Iran. He said it was being paused for a short period to see whether his team could finalise a peace deal with Iran.

Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian President, said that the US is pursuing a policy of “maximum pressure” and expects Iran to submit to all of their demands. Of course, he said that would be impossible for Iran.

According to Al Jazeera:

A Pakistani source involved in peace efforts has been quoted by Reuters as saying the US and Iran are closing in on a one-page memo to end the war, confirming an earlier report by Axios.

Meanwhile, Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, said that the offensive stage of the war with Iran is “over”.

It is worth noting, though, that the US, alongside Israel, were the one who started the illegal and unprovoked attacks on Iran. The entire operation was yet another offensive colonialist operation, which Iran had the right to defend itself against.

Mohammad Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament and the top negotiator in last month’s ceasefire talks with the US, said that the US has jeopardised shipping and energy security in the Strait of Hormuz.

He wrote on X:

The new equation in the Strait of Hormuz is being solidified.

Shipping security and energy transit have been jeopardised by the US and its allies with the ceasefire violations and blockade. However, their evil acts will fail.

We know well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America, while we are just getting started.

Only yesterday, the US murdered five civilians in the Strait of Hormuz. This was during a failed attempt to challenge Iran’s control of its sovereign waterway.

The US claimed it had targeted and sunk six Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vessels, which had attempted to interfere with a US mission to escort stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz.

However, it transpired that the boats it struck were, in fact, civilian vessels.

Make your mind up

Previously, Trump had stressed that Project Freedom was a “humanitarian gesture“. He also said that the health of 22,500 mariners trapped in the Gulf depended on it.

However, he has quickly folded. So was it really a humanitarian issue, or has Trump realised he doesn’t have a leg to stand on?

The sole aim of the US is now to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Which just happened to be open when it launched its illegal attacks.

Everything is going to plan… but the US is “pausing” helping ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz because everything is going to plan. We already won. The war ended last week. Iran has no Navy, no air force, no air defense (OK, that’s one is pretty accurate), and 89% of its… https://t.co/8GW7E8Fi5G

— Malcontent News (@MalcontentmentT) May 5, 2026

But didn’t the US already win?

One thing we can always count on is Trump blundering or changing his mind, and then lying about the fact that he blundered or changed his mind. He’s full of shit. That, mixed with his ego and lack of conscience, is a dangerous combination. The US does not need any more colonial projects. Of course, Trump’s idea of “maximum pressure’ is yet another bullshit attempt to interfere with Iran’s sovereignty.

Featured image via NBC News/YouTube