DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday evening a pause in American efforts to guide stranded vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz. This decision aims to allow time for a deal to materialize, potentially ending the ongoing conflict with Iran, though the U.S. forces’ blockade of Iranian ports will remain in effect.
Simultaneously, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing on Wednesday morning, as reported by the official Xinhua news agency. No further details were immediately available.
This marks Araghchi’s first visit to China since the commencement of hostilities. China, with its deep economic and political ties to Tehran, holds a distinctive position of influence in the region.
Earlier in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had voiced expectations that Beijing would impress upon Tehran the critical need to relinquish its control over the strait, a vital artery for global energy supplies.
Iran’s effective closure of the strait, a passage for significant oil, gas, fertilizer, and other petroleum products before the conflict, has led to a dramatic surge in fuel prices and unsettled the global economy. Breaking Iran’s hold on this waterway is seen as crucial to diminishing its primary source of leverage, particularly as Trump presses for a substantial rollback of Tehran’s contentious nuclear program.
Trump conveyed his decision via a social media post, stating that the latest initiative, which began Monday, would be temporarily halted to ascertain if an agreement with Tehran to conclude the Middle East conflict could be finalized.
According to Trump, the move was prompted by “the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment or additional information regarding the progress in negotiations mentioned by Trump. These negotiations had largely appeared to be at a standstill since the conflict erupted on February 28, following strikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.
The United Arab Emirates, a key U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf, reported being targeted by Iranian drones and missiles for a second consecutive day on Tuesday.
However, U.S. military leaders and Rubio maintained that the nearly month-old ceasefire was still holding and that, while the conflict remains unresolved, the initial major U.S. military operation against Iran has concluded.
Prior to Trump’s announcement, Rubio had stated at a White House press briefing that for peace to be achieved, Iran must accede to Trump’s demands concerning its nuclear program and agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We would prefer the path of peace,” Rubio affirmed.
Rubio also characterized the day-old U.S. endeavor to reopen the strait to maritime traffic as a defensive operation, aimed at assisting thousands of civilian sailors left stranded by the conflict.
“They’re sitting ducks, they’re isolated, they’re starving, they’re vulnerable,” Rubio elaborated. “At least 10 sailors have already died as a result.”
On Monday, the U.S. reported opening a lane and sinking six small Iranian boats that had posed threats to commercial ships. To date, only two merchant vessels are confirmed to have traversed the new U.S.-guarded route, with hundreds more remaining bottlenecked in the Persian Gulf.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the U.S. military’s highest-ranking officer, informed a news conference that Iran’s renewed attacks had not reached the threshold of what Caine termed “major combat operations.” He described Tuesday as a “quieter” day in the strait.
At the White House, Rubio reiterated that clashes with Iran related to American efforts to reopen the strait were “defensive in nature.”
“There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first, OK?” Rubio stated. “We’re not attacking them.”
Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, indicated that Iran has yet to fully respond to the U.S. attempt to reopen the waterway.
“We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America; while we have not even begun yet,” he posted on X. His statement did not reference negotiations with the U.S., which are currently being conducted through messages relayed via Pakistan.
Contradicting Washington’s claim of sinking six Iranian boats, an Iranian military commander stated that two small civilian cargo boats were struck on Monday, resulting in the deaths of five civilians, according to Iran’s state TV.
General Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that over 100 U.S. military aircraft are patrolling the skies above the strait. The U.S. has maintained a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, thereby depriving Tehran of crucial oil revenue needed to bolster its struggling economy.
The Trump administration has cited the April 8 ceasefire to assert that the president is not required to provide a formal update to Congress on the conflict under the War Powers Resolution. This law typically mandates presidents to seek formal congressional approval for war activities 60 days after initiating military action.
So far, only two civilian vessels, both U.S.-flagged merchant ships, are known to have navigated the strait using the lane the U.S. claims to have established. Shipping company Maersk reported that one of its operated vehicle carriers safely exited the strait on Monday with U.S. military assistance.
Former military officers with experience in the strait have cautioned that opening the waterway, which is merely 21 miles (34 kilometers) wide, would be perilous and highly challenging, even with military escorts, which the U.S. is not currently providing.
Hapag-Lloyd AG, a leading global container shipping company, issued a statement indicating that its risk assessment “remains unchanged” and that transits through the strait “are for the moment not possible for our ships.”
Iran has historically targeted ships attempting to transit without utilizing its designated route in the northern part of the strait along the Iranian coastline. This route requires vetting by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and, in some instances, payment.
The U.S.-approved route passes through the territorial waters of Oman to the south.
The UAE’s Defense Ministry reported responding to another Iranian drone and missile attack on Tuesday, though no damage or casualties were reported. A day earlier, Emirati air defenses had engaged 15 missiles and four drones from Iran, one of which ignited a fire at a key oil facility, injuring three Indian nationals.
The British military reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE on Monday. On Tuesday, it reported that a cargo vessel in the strait had been struck by an “unknown projectile,” without providing further details.
Iran denied striking the UAE “in recent days,” according to a statement by Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for Iran’s joint military command, read on state TV Tuesday.
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