Pakistan’s prime minister on Wednesday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to pause Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz, voicing hope that the current momentum will lead to a lasting peace agreement with Iran, Anadolu Agency reports.
“Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all efforts that promote restraint and a peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. We are very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond,” Shehbaz Sharif wrote on US social media platform X.
He said that Trump’s “gracious” response to the request made by Pakistan and other “brotherly” countries, particularly Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period.”
Trump announced Tuesday that the US military will temporarily pause Project Freedom, the US effort to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the decision was made at the request of Pakistan and other countries in the wake of what he called “tremendous military success” in the US campaign against Iran.
READ: Beijing extends support to Iran amid conflict with US ahead of Trump’s China trip
Announcing the project on Sunday, he vowed to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iran’s insistence that any transit through the critical waterway requires its prior approval.
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran and disruptions in the strait.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Trump later extended the truce without a set deadline. Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.
Also on Tuesday, Iran introduced a new mechanism governing ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz amid the standoff with Washington over the strategic waterway.
Under the system, vessels intending to pass through the strait receive an email linked to the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) informing them of transit regulations. Ships are then required to comply with the framework before receiving a transit permit, according to state-run Press TV.
READ: Iran introduces new mechanism for ship transits in Strait of Hormuz
