00:00When I decided that I have to do this for the good of the world...
00:03U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would temporarily pause an operation
00:07to help ships escape the Strait of Hormuz.
00:09He said the decision was based on progress toward a comprehensive agreement with Iran.
00:14Trump wrote on social media, quote,
00:16We have mutually agreed that, while the blockade will remain in full force and effect,
00:20Project Freedom will be paused for a short period of time
00:23to see whether or not the agreement can be finalized and signed.
00:26No immediate reaction came from Tehran early Wednesday.
00:30The announcement came hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio
00:33briefed reporters on tanker escort efforts in the Strait.
00:36The previous day, the U.S. military reported destroying several Iranian smallboats,
00:40along with cruise missiles and drones.
00:42Rubio emphasized that Iran would not be permitted to control marine traffic.
00:46This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation.
00:50And what that means is very simple.
00:52There's no shooting unless we're shot at first.
00:54We're not attacking them.
00:56But if they're attacking us or they're attacking a ship,
00:59you need to respond to that.
01:01A key goal of Trump's campaign against Iran was to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon,
01:06which Iran has repeatedly denied ever seeking.
01:09However, the country has still not surrendered more than 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium.
01:14Iran effectively sealed off the strait, disrupting a fifth of global oil flows
01:18and driving up commodity prices worldwide.
01:20You know, they fired them in little boats with pea shooters.
01:24Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said Iran's armed forces have been ranted ineffective
01:28and said Tehran wanted peace despite its public threats.
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