EA-CEO Retort VideoCast: The Disorder of the “Global Royal Rumble”
In a social media post, Trump abruptly paused the operation, which would guide vessels out of the waterway, for “a short period…on the request of Pakistan and other Countries”. He claimed, without evidence, “Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran.”
Hours earlier, both Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that Project Freedom was rapidly developing.
Hegseth claimed hundreds of commercial ships were lining up for passage. Rubio said the US was carrying out the operation as a “favor to the world … because we’re the only ones that can”.
In fact, only two vessel was confirmed to have transited the Strait under US guidance. Iran struck several, including a cargo ship as Rubio was speaking.
More than 800 vessels have been bottled up in the Strait and Persian Gulf since the US-Israel War started February 28. Iran declared its closure of the waterway, through which around 20% of the world’s maritime oil and gas passes, four days later.
The Secretary of State turned to China for assistance, asking it to press Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during his visit to Beijing on Wednesday.
“It is in China’s interest that Iran stop closing the strait,” Rubio said.