US-Iran ceasefire holds despite military tensions in Strait of Hormuz as Trump pursues deal

A temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran that began April 8, 2026 remains in effect despite ongoing military tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where more than 1,500 vessels with 22,500 mariners remain trapped as of May 5. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth confirmed the ceasefire holds as President Trump pauses Project Freedom—the U.S. military operation to escort ships through the strait—while pursuing a broader diplomatic agreement with Iran. The conflict, which began February 28, 2026 when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, has drawn international concern, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressing deep distress during meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing on May 6. The Trump administration is leveraging multiple pressure points, including demanding Iraq's incoming prime minister Ali al-Zaidi distance from pro-Iran militias before resuming suspended financial aid, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls on China to pressure Tehran to reopen the strategic waterway that once carried one-fifth of global oil shipments.

Diplomatic negotiations and ceasefire developments

• ▪President Trump announced on May 5, 2026 that Project Freedom would be paused while the U.S. blockade remains in place as the U.S. and Iran make progress toward a final agreement
• ▪Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on May 5, 2026 that Operation Epic Fury is concluded
• ▪President Trump is scheduled to visit China on May 14-15, 2026 to meet with President Xi Jinping

Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. military response

• ▪Project Freedom, the U.S. military's effort to help move ships through the Strait of Hormuz, began on Monday, May 4, 2026
• ▪More than 1,500 vessels with about 22,500 mariners are trapped inside the Persian Gulf as of May 5, 2026
• ▪The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported incidents on three ships in the Gulf region since Sunday, May 3, 2026, including a fire, a projectile strike, and a reported attack by small craft
• ▪A cargo ship named CGM San Antonio owned by a French firm was hit by a possible land-attack cruise missile on May 5, 2026, causing several injuries among Filipino crew members

International pressure and China's role in mediation

• ▪Abbas Araghchi's trip to China in May 2026 was the first time the Iranian foreign minister traveled to China since the war with the U.S. and Israel started on February 28, 2026
• ▪Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on May 5, 2026 about Iran, the U.S.-Russia relationship, and the Russia-Ukraine war
• ▪Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on May 6, 2026
• ▪The call between Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov on May 5, 2026 was at Lavrov's request
• ▪Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on May 6, 2026 that China was deeply distressed over the war that has lasted more than two months

U.S. demands on Iraq regarding pro-Iran militias

• ▪Attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq stopped after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire began on April 8, 2026, except for Iranian strikes in Iraqi Kurdistan
• ▪U.S. facilities in Iraq suffered more than 600 attacks after February 28, 2026 when the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran
• ▪The arrangement for handling Iraqi oil revenue payments from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York dates to the aftermath of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq

Perspective of China

• ▪China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution in early April 2026 aimed at opening the Strait of Hormuz