JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump warned the United States could increase military operations in the Strait of Hormuz if an agreement with Iran fails to be reached.
"We will take a different path if everything is not agreed and resolved," Trump said, quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Saturday, May 9.
When asked if the US would resume Project Freedom operations, Trump replied, "I don't think so," adding that the move was still possible.
Trump said Pakistan, which has been mediating the US-Iran talks, asked the United States not to continue its military operations.
"We may go back to Project Freedom if things don't go well," he said.
Trump said the operation could turn into Project Freedom Plus, meaning the operation would be expanded, although he did not explain the additional steps involved.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, which then launched a retaliatory attack on Israel and US allies in the Gulf.
The tensions also led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an important global energy supply route.
On April 8, a ceasefire came into effect through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a long-term deal.
Trump then extended the ceasefire indefinitely.
Since April 13, the US Navy has blocked Iranian maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Tuesday, Trump announced the US military would temporarily suspend Project Freedom, which aims to restore the freedom of navigation of commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, but stressed that the US blockade remained "fully in place."
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