ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his gratitude to US President Donald Trump for his courageous leadership and timely announcement regarding the temporary pause of Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on social media platform X, he wrote: “President Trump's gracious response to the request made by Pakistan and other brotherly countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my dear brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia H.R.H Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period”.
He added that Pakistan remained firmly committed to supporting all efforts that promote restraint and a peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.
I am grateful to President Donald Trump for his courageous leadership and timely announcement regarding the pause in Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump's gracious response to the request made by Pakistan and other brotherly countries, particularly the…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 6, 2026“We are very hopeful that the curent momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond,” read the post.
Earlier, Trump said on Tuesday (May 5) he was halting the US military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, in a bid to reach a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war.
Trump's operation, dubbed "Project Freedom", to help vessels leave the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint to the Gulf where Iran has seized control in response to being attacked, began on Monday.
But the US leader said on Truth Social that he was now pausing it after a request by mediator Pakistan and other countries, saying that "great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement" with Tehran.
"We have mutually agreed that, while the blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom ... will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalised and signed," Trump said.
Washington is maintaining a blockade of Iran's ports in a bid to pressure Iran to make a deal to end the war that the US and Israel launched on Feb 28.
Tensions had been soaring over the Hormuz operation, with the US saying it had sunk seven Iranian boats, and several civilian vessels coming under attack, allegedly from Iran. The clashes in the Strait of Hormuz were not part of the original war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier on Tuesday.
"This is not an offensive operation; this is a defensive operation," Rubio said. "And what that means is very simple - there's no shooting unless we're shot at first."
He added that the US has completed its offensive operations against Iran, which it named "Operation Epic Fury".