Does Trump’s pause on Project Freedom hand Iran greater leverage in the Strait of Hormuz?

United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (May 5) that he would halt a US military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, as part of a bid to reach a deal with Iran to end the conflict. The Project Freedom operation, to help vessels navigate the narrow chokepoint to the Gulf where Iran has seized control in response to being attacked, began on Monday. John Blaxland, professor of international security and intelligence studies at the Australian National University, speaks to CNA’s Asia First on what Trump’s pause could mean and whether it may shift leverage toward Iran.

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