In a dramatic shift of strategy on May 6, U.S. president Donald Trump announced a temporary pause to Project Freedom naval escorts in the Strait of Hormuz.
The decision, made at the request of Pakistani mediators, aims to provide a diplomatic window to finalize a peace deal.
However, the move was immediately overshadowed by a violent missile attack on the CMA CGM San Antonio, a Malta-flagged container ship, which left several crew members wounded—just hours after the initiative began.
While Trump teased a potential end to what he thinks of as the ‘already legendary’ Operation Epic Fury, he simultaneously issued an ultimatum on Truth Social:
If they don’t agree, the bombing starts… at a much higher level and intensity.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps countered with its own message of control, asserting that new protocols are now in place to ensure safe passage for those who comply with Iranian regulations, even as the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in full force.
