US Pauses Hormuz Escorts In Bid For Deal, As Threats Continue

Washington, United States: The US will pause escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz barely a day after it began doing so, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday, citing a desire to reach a peace deal with Iran.

Despite an uptick in military activity in recent days, Trump said "great progress has been made" toward a deal with Tehran and that the ship-guiding operation "will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed."

The announcement came hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States had completed its offensive operations against Iran, while withholding the right to unleash a "devastating" response to any new attacks on shipping in the narrow shipping lanes.

Rubio echoed Washington's top military officer who earlier in the day said that US forces were ready to resume combat operations if ordered.

And Trump added that the blockade of Iranian ports "will remain in full force and effect."

As these announcements were made in Washington, Iranian media reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beijing, where he will on Wednesday meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

The US military escorts over the last day and a half -- dubbed "Project Freedom" by Trump -- drew Iranian attacks, threatening an already fragile ceasefire.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy warned of a "firm response" if ships deviated from its approved route through the strait, as the country's chief negotiator said Tehran "had not even started yet," following a spate of attacks in the crucial trade route.

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The United Arab Emirates announced it was intercepting a barrage of missiles and drones from Iran for a second day -- a claim Tehran "categorically" denied.

"The armed forces...did not launch any missile or drone operation," Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya command said.

Trump earlier Tuesday urged Iran to "do the smart thing" and make a deal, saying he did not want to kill more Iranians even as the ceasefire teetered.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth had said the United States was "not looking for a fight" but warned attacks would face "overwhelming and devastating" force.

European and US stocks advanced Tuesday while fears that the ceasefire could fall apart weighed on Asian equities.

Talks remain deadlocked, with only one round of direct negotiations so far.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remained open to dialogue, but rejected US "maximum pressure" demands as "impossible."

Elevated energy costs are adding to economic strain and creating a political headache for Trump ahead of midterm elections.

European allies warned prolonged disruption would hit their economies.

"These attacks are unacceptable," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X, warning that Gulf security has "direct consequences for Europe."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Iran to return to talks, echoing calls from the leaders of France and Britain.

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