US pauses Hormuz escorts, Trump says progress on Iran deal

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

Despite military clashes in the strait in recent days, Trump said "great progress has been made" towards a deal 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 after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States had completed its offensive operations against Iran, although he vowed to unleash a "devastating" response to any new attacks by the Iranians on shipping in the narrow waterway.

President Donald Trump walks back toward the Oval Office after watching kids doing exercise drills on the south lawn of the White House in Washington on Tuesday. AP

Despite pausing the ship escorts, Trump said a US blockade of Iranian ports "will remain in full force."

The dispute over shipping through Hormuz as well as Iran's nuclear programme are at the heart of deadlocked talks between Washington and Tehran following two months of war, which began with US-Israeli attacks in late February.

On Monday Iran had fired missiles and drones at US forces, while Washington said it struck six Iranian boats it accused of threatening commercial shipping, in the sharpest escalation since a month-long truce took effect on April 8.

'Maximum pressure'

Trump urged Iran to "do the smart thing" and make a deal, saying he did not want to kill more Iranians.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press briefing in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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

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

Israel's air force chief Omer Tischler also said the military was ready to "deploy the entire air force eastward if required."

For a second day in a row, the United Arab Emirates, a key US ally in the Gulf, said it was intercepting missiles and drones from Iran on Tuesday, but the claim was "categorically" denied by Iran.

This photo show a view of the White House in Washington. AP

"The armed forces... did not launch any missile or drone operation," Iran's military command said.

The war has battered the global economy despite the ceasefire reached last month.
Oil prices extended losses on Wednesday, with West Texas Intermediate briefly dipping below $100 a barrel.

Agence France-Presse