Top Iranian negotiator mocks US for halting Hormuz operation

Trump reportedly paused Hormuz operation after Saudi Arabia denied use of its airspace

US officials say Gulf states were surprised by announcement of Project Freedom, which triggered fears of renewed fighting; report: Iran expected to respond to US proposal on Thursday

US President Donald Trump halted the naval operation to guide trapped ships through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz after Saudi Arabia told Washington it wouldn’t let American aircraft involved in the effort use the kingdom’s airspace, NBC News reported Thursday.

The report cited two US officials as saying Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states were surprised by Trump’s announcement of Project Freedom on Sunday, and that Trump later spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the matter but was unable to reach a resolution.

Trump said Tuesday that he was halting Project Freedom, claiming “great progress” in Pakistani-mediated peace talks with Iran in the war that the US and Israel launched on February 28.

The talks have faltered over Iran’s nuclear program and the postwar control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Asked by NBC if the naval operation caught Saudi leaders off guard, a source from the kingdom told the outlet that “the problem with that premise is that things are happening quickly in real time.”

The source also said Saudi Arabia is “very supportive of the diplomatic efforts” by Pakistan to broker an agreement between the US and Iran.

A White House spokesperson said “regional allies were notified in advance,” though a Middle Eastern diplomat quoted by NBC said the US didn’t coordinate with Oman until after Trump’s announcement.

“The US made an announcement and then coordinated with us,” the diplomat said, adding, “we were not upset or angry.”

Meanwhile, a regional source cited by CNN Thursday said Iran was expected to give mediators a response to the latest US proposal during the day.

The report came a day after Axios reported that the White House believes it is nearing a one-page memorandum of understanding with Iran aimed at permanently ending the war and laying out a framework for monthlong talks on the regime’s nuclear program.

The MOU will reportedly include a moratorium on Iranian nuclear enrichment and provide for the shipment of highly enriched uranium stockpiles out of the country, in exchange for Washington lifting some of its sanctions on Tehran and releasing billions in the Islamic Republic’s frozen funds. In addition, both sides would lift restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Axios later reported that the document includes a clause stating that the deal “would end the war throughout the region, including in Lebanon.”

The plan would also declare an end to the war and trigger a 30-day negotiation period, in pursuit of more detailed agreements pertaining to the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program and US sanctions against the regime.

The fighting entered a truce on April 8, but the US naval effort in the Strait of Hormuz this week sparked fears the conflict would resume, with Iran launching new attacks on the United Arab Emirates and the US firing on Iranian vessels.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has been serving as the Islamic Republic’s top negotiator in the peace talks, appeared Thursday to mock the Trump administration for pausing Project Freedom.

“Operation Trust Me Bro failed. Now back to routine with Operation Fauxios,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Meanwhile, addressing a tele-rally for Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Burt Jones, Trump said Wednesday the war in Iran would end quickly.

“When you look at the kind of things that are happening, we are doing that for one very important reason: We cannot allow them to have a nuclear weapon. So I think most people understand that. They understand that what we are doing is right, and it’ll be over quickly,” Trump said.

The US and Israel launched the war on Iran in bid to destabilize its regime and destroy its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. While Iran, whose leaders are sworn to Israel’s destruction, denies seeking nuclear arms, its has amassed uranium enriched to levels with no peaceful application.

Iran responded to the US-Israeli campaign with missile and drone strikes across the region, including on US bases and military installations in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Bin Salman, the Saudi leader, had pushed Trump ahead of the truce to keep fighting Iran and even mount a ground invasion, according to reports at the time.

Early in the war, Iran imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, choking off some 20% of the world’s oil shipments and triggering a global spark in energy prices.

The US launched its own blockade on Iran-linked shipping on April 13, five days into the truce with Iran.

Agencies contributed to this report.