Trump insists Iran ceasefire holds despite resumed shooting war

Earlier this week, President Trump announced “Project Freedom”, an initiative to guide commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz while avoiding Iran’s blockade. The effort only managed to help two US-flagged ships escape in its less than 36 hours in operation. The day Project Freedom commenced, the United Arab Emirates was hit with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting the country’s only port capable of exporting oil while avoiding the Strait of Hormuz. The following day, the UAE intercepted more missiles and drones. Iran denied responsibility for both attacks, though they are widely believed to have been behind it.

Subsequently, Trump “paused” Project Freedom, citing progress in talks with Iran. However, it soon emerged that the real reason Project Freedom was called off was because Saudi Arabia denied the US permission to use its air space and military bases on its soil to support the operation. The Saudis and other US Gulf allies were reportedly not consulted before Project Freedom went into action. They also feared it would spur Iran to carry out more attacks on their oil facilities and other sensitive infrastructure.

Even after the Trump administration rolled up Project Freedom and touted progress in talks, the US and Iran have resumed a shooting war, mainly at sea. Iran has launched attacks on US Navy vessels while the US has targeted ships leaving Iranian ports. Despite all this, Trump continues to claim that the ceasefire remains in effect, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio says they are awaiting Iran’s response to a new peace proposal.

CIA study finds Iran could withstand blockade for four months.

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