Trump's 'Project Freedom' criticized by columnist

Bloomberg columnist Javier Blas argued that President Donald Trump's announcement of Project Freedom, a new naval operation to secure vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz, effectively admits his previous blockade strategy has failed.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil trade flows, has been partially closed since Feb. 28 following Trump's coordinated attack on Iran with Israel. Trump authorized a U.S. blockade in mid-April intended to pressure Iran into peace negotiations, but three weeks of blockade yielded no acceptable agreement.

In an X post, Blas wrote the White House now "realizes it cannot keep waiting for the blockade to force Iran into the negotiation table," characterizing the shift as an admission that the blockade strategy "isn't working."

He argued Trump's timeline for the blockade's economic impact on Iran was "completely wrong," prompting the administration to pursue alternative pressure tactics through direct naval security operations.

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