The US operation to guide stranded vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will be paused for a “short period of time”, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday evening. Trump said that “Project Freedom”, which began days earlier, would be halted by “mutual agreement” because “great progress” had been made toward a deal with Iran. Iranian state media characterised it as a victory, saying the pause demonstrated that Trump “retreated” after “continued failures” to reopen the vital waterway for global shipping. The US president’s announcement came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the initial US-Israeli offensive in Iran - Operation Epic Fury - was over after achieving its objectives. In a post on social media, Trump said that he had made the decision “based on the request of Pakistan”, which has acted as an intermediary between the US and Iran. He added that the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place.