Trump’s 48 hours of chaos on Iran: Project Freedom paused and Operation Epic Fury declared ‘over’

The Trump administration has declared the offensive against Iran over and paused its ambitious mission to free ships stuck in the Gulf in a dramatic turnaround over a 48-hour period.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio, told reporters at the White House late on Tuesday that Operation Epic Fury is “over” and that the military phase of the war had ended.

Mr Rubio said that the conflict’s new phase, Project Freedom, was working to save some 23,000 civilians from 87 countries stranded in the Gulf, insisting this was a purely defensive operation.

But in an abrupt pivot, the US president said late on Tuesday that the initiative would also be placed on hold “by mutual agreement” to allow for productive talks aimed at ending the war.

The Independent looks at how a chaotic 48 hours unfolded in the White House.

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Sunday: Trump reveals Project Freedom

Renewed talk of diplomacy comes just days after Donald Trump unveiled the Project Freedom initiative, framed as a defensive mission to guide foreign ships out of the Strait of Hormuz and safeguard international trade.

The Strait is a vital waterway for global supplies of oil, fertiliser and other commodities that has been virtually closed since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, causing global price rises.

President Trump said the operation was a “humanitarian effort to rescue ships running low on essentials after more than two months trapped in the Persian Gulf”.

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Monday: US escorts ships through Hormuz

By the end of its first day, on Monday, the US military said it had escorted two ships through the Strait of Hormuz. But Iran also claimed to have fired warning shots at a US ship, commercial ships reported incoming fire, and a key oil port in the UAE was struck by Iran, according to reports.

In a briefing on the war to reporters, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth tried to frame Monday’s clashes as natural “churn”, while warning that the US still has the capability to reopen the wider conflict if needed.

“The option is always there, and Iran knows that. And that’s why their choices in Project Freedom are important,” he said, casting the mission as a “gift” to the rest of the world while also downplaying America’s need for the waterway.

Tuesday: Trump pauses Project Freedom

The UAE accused Iran of more missile and drone attacks on Tuesday as the Trump administration tried to play down attacks in the region.

But after a day of careful positioning from his senior officials, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social that the operation to rescue commercial shipping “will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed”.

It was unclear whether any talks with Iran had been formally agreed or scheduled.

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Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said during a state visit to China that Iran would only accept a “fair and comprehensive agreement” in negotiations with the US.

“We will do our best to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the negotiations,” he said, following a meeting with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi.

Iran has until now brushed off US demands as “maximalist” and rejected further talks so long as the US military continues to enforce its punishing blockade on Iranian ports and vessels.

Mr Trump said that the blockade would “remain in full force and effect” while the escort mission is paused.

The administration has been navigating a deadline that passed last week requiring Mr Trump to seek congressional approval to continue the war. Mr Hegseth has argued the “clock stops” with the ceasefire.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who previously led Tehran through talks with Washington, said the US was endangering shipping through the strait with what Tehran has dubbed “Project Deadlock”.

“We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America, while we have not even begun yet,” Mr Ghalibaf wrote on social media.

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