Donald Trump announced a pause in his plan for the US to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, dubbed “Project Freedom,” following backlash from allies, according to new reports.
The US president’s announcement of “Project Freedom” via Truth Social Sunday shocked US allies in the Gulf, NBC News reported. A White House official told the outlet that “regional allies were notified in advance.”
Saudi Arabia then told the US it would not allow American servicemembers to fly aircraft from the Prince Sultan Airbase or fly through its airspace to support the plan, US officials told NBC News.
Kuwait also blocked US base access in response to the surprise announcement of “Project Freedom”, Drop Site reported.
Trump quickly announced the pause of “Project Freedom” Tuesday, citing “great progress” with Iran towards a permanent peace deal.
On Wednesday, Trump said the US had “very good talks” with Iran in the last 24 hours. Iran said it was reviewing a US proposal to end the war and that it would “convey its views to the Pakistani side”, according to The New York Times.
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Key Points
- Israel targets commander of Hezbollah's elite force in strikes
- US fires at Iranian tanker seeking to breach blockade, Centcom says
- Iranian parliamentary speaker mocks Trump's abrupt pause of Project Freedom
- UAE says international ties are 'sovereign matter' after Iran criticism
Iran to respond to US peace proposal Thursday: report
04:00 , Rachel DobkinIran is expected to respond to a US proposal to end the war on Thursday, CNN has reported, citing a regional source.
Trump celebrates record highs for US stock market amid Iran war
03:30 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has celebrated record highs for the US stock market as everyday Americans struggle with the economic cost of the Iran war.
“Stock Market hit an ALL-TIME HIGH TODAY. Jobs & 401-K’s are BOOMING!!!” he wrote on Truth Social Wednesday night, Washington time.
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq closed at record highs Wednesday, driven in part by hopes that an end to the Iran war is in sight.
But high gas prices brought on by the war are still plaguing Americans.
Trump leans on UFC fighter to support his Iran war stance: ‘We’re in good shape’
03:00 , Alex CroftPresident Donald Trump on Wednesday looked to one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters who will compete at the White House next month for validation on his unpopular war against Iran as he hosted a group of the MMA fighters in the Oval Office.
The president was asked why he feels optimistic about the possibility of a deal to end the two-month-old conflict and what makes the current situation different from the multiple previous occasions on which he claimed a deal was close only to backtrack.
In response, he repeated a series of now-familiar boasts about the state of Tehran’s conventional military forces and claimed it would take the Islamic Republic a full two decades to rebuild what has been lost to American bombs since February 28 before turning to one of the fighters, Justin Gaethje, to ask his opinion.
“You would call that ‘we’re in good shape,’ right?”
Gaethje responded: “Fantastic shape.”
Trump leans on UFC fighter to support his Iran war stance: ‘We’re in good shape’
Iran says negotiations should not be 'deception' or 'extortion'
02:01 , Alex CroftIranian spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei appears to have hit out at ongoing Pakistan-brokered discussions with the US as he appeared to remind them that negotiations require “good faith” and not “extortion”.
“The concept of ‘negotiations’ requires, at the very least, a genuine attempt to engage in discussions with a view to resolving the dispute (ICJ, Judgement of 1 April 2011, para. 157),” he wrote in a post on X on Wednesday.
“It needs 'good faith', then, meaning that 'negotiations' is not 'disputation'; nor is it 'dictation', 'deception', 'extortion' or 'coercion'.”
Senior Iran MP says Axios text of US proposal is more of a wishlist than a reality
01:01 , Alex CroftA senior Iranian parliament member said on Wednesday that a report by Axios that includes the text of a US proposal for an agreement with Iran to end the war was more of a wishlist than a reality.
The report suggested that Iran could agree to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment in exchange for a lifting of sanctions as well as both sides lifting their blockades around the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Axios text is more of an American wish list than a reality; Americans will not gain anything in a war they are losing that they have not gained in face-to-face negotiations,” Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for parliament's foreign policy and national security committee posted on X
'Insane in the brain': Marco Rubio quotes Cypress Hill hip-hop classic to describe Iran leaders
Thursday 7 May 2026 00:01 , Alex CroftIranian parliamentary speaker mocks Trump's abrupt pause of Project Freedom
Wednesday 6 May 2026 23:35 , Harriette BoucherIran’s parliamentary speaker has mocked Donald Trump’s pause of Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf took to X on Wednesday, to say: “Operation Trust Me Bro failed. Now back to routine with Operation Fauxios.”
On Tuesday, the US president announced 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”.
French container ship exits Strait of Hormuz, tracking data shows
Wednesday 6 May 2026 23:29 , Alex CroftFrench shipping firm CMA CGM's Saigon container ship was sailing along the Omani coast after exiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, vessel tracking data showed.
The Saigon had previously been located inside the Gulf on Tuesday, LSEG and MarineTraffic data showed.
Another CMA CGM vessel, the San Antonio, was attacked while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, with some crew injured.
CMA CGM declined to comment.
Donald Trump warns Iran: make a deal or bombing will resume at ‘higher level’
Wednesday 6 May 2026 22:57 , Alex CroftDonald Trump said the US-Israeli war on Iran could end very soon if Tehran agrees to an outline proposal – but warned that bombing would resume “at a much higher level” if it rejects the plan.
Oil prices tumbled on Wednesday after Iran said it was reviewing the new US proposal.
Sources said Washington and Tehran were closing in on a one-page memorandum to end the chaotic conflict while leaving tricky issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme for later.
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said Iran would convey its response soon via Pakistan, which hosted the war’s only peace talks and has since served as the main conduit for messages between the sides.
Alastair Jamieson reports:
Donald Trump warns Iran: make a deal or bombing will resume at ‘higher level’
UAE says international ties are 'sovereign matter' after Iran criticism
Wednesday 6 May 2026 22:25 , Alex CroftThe UAE said on Wednesday that its ties and its international and defense partnerships were a "purely sovereign matter”.
The remarks were made in rejection of an earlier statement by Iran saying that Abu Dhabi's cooperation with the US threatened Iran's security and national interests.
The UAE's foreign ministry said the Gulf country reserves its full sovereign, legal, diplomatic and military rights to address any "threat, allegation or hostile act".
The intensified spat between the two countries come after the UAE reported being attacked in the past days by Iran after four weeks of relative calm since the ceasefire was announced by the US Iran denied carrying out operations against the UAE in recent days, yet warned of a "crushing response" if any action was launched from the UAE against Iran.
Watch: Melania Trump opens Mother's Day military tribute with reminder of deaths from husband's Iran war
Wednesday 6 May 2026 21:50 , Alex CroftNetanyahu says he will speak with Trump on Wednesday
Wednesday 6 May 2026 21:25 , Alex CroftIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would speak to Donald Trump later on Wednesday.
Mr Netanyahu added that both leaders agree all enriched uranium must be removed from Iran.
"There is full coordination between us, there are no surprises,” he said.
“We share common goals, and the most important goal is the removal of the enriched material from Iran, all the enriched material, and the dismantling of Iran's enrichment capabilities.”
Trump says US will get enriched uranium from Iran
Wednesday 6 May 2026 21:01 , Alex CroftPresident Donald Trump has vowed the US would get enriched uranium from Iran, as the two countries struggle to reach an agreement on ending the Gulf war.
"We're going to get it," Trump told a reporter as he left a White House event.
One of Trump's central objectives in launching military strikes against Iran was to ensure Tehran does not develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has yet to hand over more than 900 pounds (408 kg) of highly enriched uranium.
In pictures: Israeli launches fresh strike on Beirut
Wednesday 6 May 2026 20:39 , Alex Croft
Trump says US-Iran deal very possible after good talks in past 24 hours
Wednesday 6 May 2026 20:20 , Alex CroftUS president Donald Trump is speaking about the possibility of a peace deal with Iran.
Washington and Tehran have held very good talks in the past 24 hours, he tells reporters.
It is, he says, very possible that a deal will be agreed between the US and Iran.
We’re yet to hear any concrete detail regarding what has been agreed by the two sides.
Macron holds talks Iranian president Pezeshkian
Wednesday 6 May 2026 19:57 , Alex CroftFrench president Emmanuel Macron has spoken with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, he announced in a post on X.
Mr Macron reaffirmed the importance of freeing up shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, he said.
He added that he had encouraged Iran's president to look at the plans by France and Britain to set up an international mission to lay the groundwork for safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
"I have invited the Iranian president to take advantage of this opportunity, and I intend to discuss the topic with President Trump," Mr Macron added on X.
Je viens de m’entretenir avec le Président iranien Massoud Pezeshkian.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 6, 2026
J’ai marqué ma vive préoccupation sur l'escalade en cours, et condamné les frappes injustifiées contre les infrastructures civiles émiriennes et plusieurs navires.
Toutes les parties doivent lever le blocus…
Shipping firms are being whipsawed by changing stances and risks as they wait for Hormuz to reopen
Wednesday 6 May 2026 19:34 , Alex CroftWith hundreds of vessels still stuck in the Persian Gulf and costs piling up, shipping companies are being whipsawed by uncertainty over how and when the Strait of Hormuz might reopen more than two months into the Iran war.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” a way for the U.S. to “guide” ships to exit the strait. Two ships made the transit, but by Tuesday Trump abruptly paused the effort to allow time for a deal to end the war.
Read the full report here:
Shipping firms are being whipsawed by changing stances and risks as they wait for Hormuz to reopen
Israel targets commander of Hezbollah's elite force in strikes
Wednesday 6 May 2026 19:20 , Harriette BoucherIsrael has carried out a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut in a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh.
The strike, which was the first to hit Beirut's suburbs since the ceasefire on 16 April, targeted the commander of the militant group's elite Radwan force, according to an official Israeli statement.
"Radwan operatives, led by this commander, were responsible for firing at Israeli communities and harming IDF soldiers," a joint statement by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Trump says US will get enriched uranium from Iran
Wednesday 6 May 2026 19:16 , Harriette BoucherThe US will get enriched uranium from Iran, Donald Trump has said.
As the US president left the White House on Wednesday, he told a reporter: “We're going to get it.”
President Trump has previously said that Iran would allow the US to remove its enriched uranium, a claim which Tehran has rejected.
One of Trump's central objectives in launching military strikes against Iran was to ensure Tehran does not develop a nuclear weapon.
Iran is yet to hand over more than 900 pounds (408 kg) of highly enriched uranium.
Trump says Iran wants to make a deal
Wednesday 6 May 2026 19:12 , Alex CroftDonald Trump said that Iran wants to negotiate and make a deal, amid growing hopes that a resolution may be found to end the war.
The US president added that the US was doing very well in Iran and that it was going very smoothly.
We’re working to bring you his full quotes.
US fires at Iranian tanker seeking to breach blockade, Centcom says
Wednesday 6 May 2026 18:49 , Alex CroftUS military forces fired several rounds at an unladen Iranian-flagged tanker M/T Hasna on Wednesday, Central Command (Centcom) said on X.
The shots disabled the vessel as it attempted to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the blockade, it added.
“American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the US blockade,” Centcom said.
“After Hasna’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, US forces disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon gun of a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).
“Hasna is no longer transiting to Iran,” it added.
Strike hits Beirut for the first time in weeks - security sources
Wednesday 6 May 2026 18:30 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing a report that an airstrike has hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday, the first such strike in weeks.
This is according to Lebanese security sources speaking to Reuters news agency.
We’ll bring you more as it comes.
‘Rockets flew over our heads’: Ukrainian sailor who fled war trapped on ship in Strait of Hormuz
Wednesday 6 May 2026 17:49 , Alex CroftA Ukrainian sailor stranded in the Strait of Hormuz for more than two months has described the terror of Iranian rockets flying overhead as his crew found themselves caught in the crossfire of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The senior assistant captain was on his debut voyage as first mate when hostilities erupted at the end of February, casting the region into a bitter conflict interrupted only in part by a fragile ceasefire agreement in April.
The sailor told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne on condition of anonymity how they could only watch on as three missiles “literally flew over our heads” as Iran opened fire on its neighbours on the afternoon of 28 February.
“We saw two downings and one ‘arrival’ near the airport in Dubai,” the captain said, adding that he was unmoved by the shelling after three years living through the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Our senior foreign journalist James Reynolds reports:
Ukrainian sailor who fled war trapped on ship in Strait of Hormuz
Iran conflict may have motivated Trump shooting suspect
Wednesday 6 May 2026 17:25 , Maira ButtThe US Department of Homeland Security identified the US-Israeli war with Iran as a potential motive for the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration at a White House reporters' gala last month, according to an intelligence report sent to state and local law enforcement nationwide and other federal agencies.
The report, a preliminary assessment by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis dated April 27, assessed that the suspect Cole Allen had “multiple social and political grievances.” It concluded that the Iran conflict “may have contributed to his decision to conduct the attack,” citing social media posts from Allen that criticized US actions in the war.
On Sunday 26 April a suspect was arrested for attempting to storm a White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, armed with multiple knives and a gun.
China calls for ‘comprehensive ceasefire’ in Iran war as Beijing intervenes in Middle East conflict
Wednesday 6 May 2026 16:20 , Maira ButtChina’s foreign minister has called for a comprehensive ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, a move that could revitalise stalled efforts to end the two-month war.
Wang Yi expressed his country’s deep distress over the hostilities following a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.
This marked Mr Araghchi’s first visit to the Chinese capital since the conflict with the US and Israel began on 28 February.
China calls for ‘comprehensive ceasefire’ as Iran war peace talks fade
Iran says negotiations should not be 'deception' or 'extortion'
Wednesday 6 May 2026 15:55 , Maira ButtIranian spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei appears to have hit out at ongoing Pakistan-brokered discussions with the US as he appeared to remind them that negotiations require “good faith” and not “extortion”.
“The concept of ‘negotiations’ requires, at the very least, a genuine attempt to engage in discussions with a view to resolving the dispute (ICJ, Judgement of 1 April 2011, para. 157),” he wrote in a post on X on Wednesday.
“It needs 'good faith', then, meaning that 'negotiations' is not 'disputation'; nor is it 'dictation', 'deception', 'extortion' or 'coercion'.”
Israel 'not aware' of Trump being close to peace deal with Iran
Wednesday 6 May 2026 15:34 , Maira ButtIsrael had been preparing for an escalation in fighting and was not aware of President Donald Trump being close to a ceasefire deal with Iran, an Israeli source has told Reuters on Wednesday.
The US ally was unaware that America was close to an agreement to end the war and pave the way to unblock shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Rather, Israel was preparing for an escalation in fighting, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
France and its partners are able to make sure Hormuz Strait secure - Elysee
Wednesday 6 May 2026 15:10 , Maira ButtFrance and its partners are able to make sure the Hormuz Strait secure, French President Emmanuel Macron's Elysee office said on Wednesday.
France would like the question of the Hormuz Strait to be separate from current talks between the United States and Iran, it added.
France's military said earlier that the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group was moving into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as part of efforts by France and Britain to prepare in case of a future mission to help freedom of navigation on the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s 48 hours of chaos on Iran: Project Freedom paused and Operation Epic Fury declared ‘over’
Wednesday 6 May 2026 14:48 , Maira ButtThe 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.
James C Reynolds reports:
Project Freedom paused and Operation Epic Fury ‘over’: Trump’s 48 hours of Iran chaos
All the times Trump said the war in Iran was over - and how the markets reacted
Wednesday 6 May 2026 14:23 , Maira ButtDonald Trump has once again announced that the Iran war is over - despite no peace deal being finalised between the two countries.
The US president has declared the end of military operations against Tehran on dozens of occasions, in what critics have said it is an attempt to calm market instability caused by the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, choking global oil supply and throwing the world into the worst energy crisis in history.
While the markets initially settled in response to Trump’s optimism over ending the war, his repeated declarations are increasingly having a diminished effect. Despite the disruption and chaos, international stock markets are seeing record highs.
All the times Trump said the war in Iran was over - and how the markets reacted
Iran reviewing US proposal, says state media
Wednesday 6 May 2026 14:00 , Maira ButtIran is reviewing a US proposal to end the conflict between the countries and will convey its views to Pakistan, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said on Wednesday according to ISNA news agency.
President Donald Trump said earlier that it was “too soon” for direct talks.
Trump says it is too soon for direct talks with Iran, says New York Post
Wednesday 6 May 2026 13:40 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has said that it is “too soon” for direct talks with Iran as the US is still awaiting a response to its proposal to end the war, according to an interview with the New York Post.
The US leader has been back-and-forth in his approach towards the Islamic Republic, alternating between somewhat conciliatory and punitive.
Price of crude oil drops to $89 a barrel
Wednesday 6 May 2026 13:20 , Maira ButtOil prices appear to be reacting positively to President Donald Trump’s overnight statements and reports that a resolution between Iran and the US could be in sight.
Crude Oil fell to $89.76 on Wednesday, down 12.24 per cent from the previous day.
However, it remains 54.57 per cent higher than a year ago according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD).
Dubai airport passenger numbers plummeted 66 per cent after outbreak of Iran-US war
Wednesday 6 May 2026 13:00 , Maira ButtOne of the world’s busiest airports saw its passenger numbers plunge by more than half in March due to flight restrictions amid the Iran-US war.
Dubai International airport (DXB) held the status of the second busiest airport in the world in 2025, with 95.2 million passengers passing through Dubai’s main airport.
After conflict broke out in the Middle East, passenger numbers plummeted to 2.5 million in March, down 65.7 per cent year on year.
Flights were temporarily suspended in March as a fire broke out near the airport after a “drone-related incident”.
According to the most recent figures, DXB reported some 18.6 million passengers overall in the first quarter, down 20.6 per cent year on year.
Amelia Neath reports:
Dubai airport passenger numbers plummeted 66 per cent after outbreak of Iran-US war
Trump latest: If Iran doesn't agree, 'the bombing starts'
Wednesday 6 May 2026 12:51 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump again threatened to reopen hostilities with Iran unless it agrees to a deal on Wednesday, as negotiators reportedly closed in on a one-page memo supposed to end the war.
The president wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to ... the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be open to all, including Iran.”
But he issued yet another sinister threat that “if they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”
