Read our editorials on the US-Israeli war on Iran here and here.
The Islamic Republic of Iran defeated the US imperialist naval operation “Project Freedom” in the span of one day in early May.
Project Freedom aimed to break Iran’s defensive blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz by concentrating US Navy forces to guide ships through the Strait. It represented an escalation from the ongoing US naval blockade of Iran that was poorly enforced, with dozens of Iranian ships passing through.
On May 5, one day after Project Freedom went into effect and two days after President Trump first announced it, Trump said the operation “will be paused for a short period of time” to negotiate an agreement with Iran.
During the one day Project Freedom was in effect, US Central Command claims to have guided through two US merchant ships and hit seven Iranian fast boats. The Iranian government disputed these claims, saying that no commercial vessels crossed the Strait and that the US Navy struck two small civilian boats, not military ships, and killed five civilians.
In response to US aggression, Iranian military officials report striking a US Navy vessel with two missiles after it ignored Iran’s warnings. Oil facilities in Fujairah Port in the United Arab Emirates caught fire as well, with Iranian news outlet IRIB saying it was the direct consequence of “American adventurism”.
Project Freedom lacks clear conditions for its resumption.
Trump noted that the decision to pause the operation was “based on the request of Pakistan and other countries”. Monopoly outlet NBC News cites a senior Trump administration official implying that the operation was pulled and would not resume anytime soon because Gulf countries refused to participate.
The governments of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait prevented the US from flying through their airspace or using their military bases for the operation due to concerns of Iran’s response, indicating the deterrence Iran has established through its defensive war Operation True Promise 4.
Iran has continued to enforce its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, receiving tolls from ships that it allows to pass through while preventing passage of enemy ships. On May 7, Iran’s Navy reports that it successfully attacked and deterred US warships attempting to break the blockade.
While the Trump administration continues to go back and forth between threatening to totally annihilate Iran and claiming that negotiations are going well, Iran has increasingly consolidated its position while standing by its demands of a complete US withdrawal from the region.
US monopoly media have lately confirmed Iran’s claims regarding its military victories. The Washington Post published an investigative report on May 6 verifying claims from Iranian media that Iran’s Operation True Promise 4 caused much more damage to US positions than the Trump administration has admitted, damaging or destroying at least 217 structures and 11 pieces of equipment across 15 US military sites. The New York Times published an article on May 12 citing US intelligence reports that Iran maintains 70-90% of its pre-war military capacity, while the US has depleted its stocks of critical munitions.
Image: Iranians commemorate the martyrdom of Khamenei on April 29, 2026. Credit: Martyr Ayatollah Khamenei Telegram channel.
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