Day 68 | Trump halts Hormuz escorts to push for deal with Iran

The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran is facing growing strain after both sides exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tensions deepened further after the United Arab Emirates, a key US ally, announced that its air defenses intercepted 19 Iranian missiles and drones on Monday.

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

Despite an uptick in military activity in recent days, Trump said "great progress has been made" toward a deal with Tehran 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 hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States had completed its offensive operations against Iran, while withholding the right to unleash a "devastating" response to any new attacks on shipping in the narrow shipping lanes.

Rubio echoed Washington's top military officer who earlier in the day said that US forces were ready to resume combat operations if ordered.

And Trump added that the blockade of Iranian ports "will remain in full force and effect."

Meanwhile, tensions are also intensifying on another front. In Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem declared that “there is no ceasefire,” as the Iranian-backed group continued exchanging fire with Israeli forces, raising concerns that the conflict could widen beyond the Gulf.