US President Donald Trump warned that Washington may escalate its military posture in the Strait of Hormuz if a deal with Iran is not finalised, threatening to revive and expand the paused “Project Freedom” operation.
“We’ll go a different route if everything doesn’t get signed up, buttoned up,” Trump told reporters at the White House. When asked whether the US would return to “Project Freedom,” Trump responded, “I don’t think so,” but added that it still “might do it.”
He explained that Pakistan, which is mediating talks between Washington and Tehran, asked the US not to resume the military operation. “We may go back to Project Freedom if things don’t happen,” he said. “It’ll be Project Freedom Plus, meaning Project Freedom plus other things,” without elaborating on what additional measures the expanded operation would entail.