Trump pauses Project Freedom in Strait of Hormuz for Iran agreement talks
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a short pause in “Project Freedom,” involving safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing requests from Pakistan and other countries.
"Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump posted on Truth Social.
Hardline strategist Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to the speaker of Iran’s parliament, said on Tuesday “time” is the most effective weapon in the current conflict, arguing that disrupting the enemy’s timetable is a key objective.
"The most effective weapon in the current war is time. Taking the war out of the enemy's timing is the strongest weapon that must be employed. What you're seeing is Trump being thrown off balance because the "scheduled time for the war" for him is nearing its end. In the limited window ahead, the initiative lies with Iran, and the enemy's cards are on the wane," he posted on X.
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday received phone calls from regional leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemning what they described as Iranian attacks on civilians and civilian facilities in the UAE, the state news agency WAM reported.
According to WAM, the leaders expressed solidarity with the UAE and voiced support for measures taken by Abu Dhabi to safeguard its security, stability, and the safety of its citizens.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday Iran will not “surrender to pressure” during a phone call with Iraq’s prime minister-designate.
"We Muslims have already surrendered to the Almighty; no one else can make us surrender. In my call with Iraq's PM, I urged the US to remove military threats from our region; followers of the Shia school cannot be coerced by force," he posted on X.
The head of Iran’s Football Federation demanded on Tuesday that the United States provide official guarantees that the country’s military, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), will not be insulted during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning that Iran could withdraw from the tournament if the condition is not met, Iranian media reported.
"Americans, if they guarantee not to insult our military institutions and the IRGC, we'll go - If they give such a guarantee that an incident like Canada doesn't happen and they definitely assure it, we'll go; we have no business with America at all," Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said.
The “Canada incident” refers to Mehdi Taj and members of Iran’s football delegation being stopped and questioned by Canadian border officials in Toronto over admissibility concerns linked to Canada’s designation of the IRGC; after facing prolonged inspection and uncertainty over entry, the delegation was not allowed to proceed with their planned visit and left Canada, missing the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.
Graffiti in support of Iran’s theocracy has appeared in one of the most prominent Iranian-American neighborhoods in the United States, prompting concern among some residents about intimidation and the spillover of political tensions into diaspora communities.
One of the markings found in the area bore the name “DISO,” a Los Angeles-based graffiti group whose work has largely focused on pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel messaging.
The group’s Instagram page includes several posts opposing the US-Israeli war on Iran and expressing support for the Islamic Republic. It has also openly criticized prominent opposition leader and exiled prince, Reza Pahlavi.
The DISO marking was found on a billboard structure along the northbound side of Westwood Boulevard, just north of Missouri Avenue. The graffiti appeared alongside color patterns resembling the flag of the Islamic Republic.
In a separate incident, “Stop War” was spray-painted over photographs of slain Iranian protesters displayed on a nearby memorial wall. There is no evidence that the vandalism of the memorial wall was carried out by DISO.
The wall commemorates protesters killed during a wave of unrest in Iran in January, described by activists as the “Bloody January Massacre”, where at least 36,500 people were killed in the crackdown.
The memorial had become a focal point for collective mourning and political expression among members of the Iranian diaspora, many of whom have called for greater international attention and support following the mass killings.
Its vandalism is viewed by some residents not only as an act of destruction but also as an attempt to undermine or erase a narrative of loss and resistance that holds deep significance for the community.
'Deliberate act of intimidation'
Despite reports submitted to the City of Los Angeles, some of the graffiti has remained in place, raising questions among residents about response times and local authorities’ handling of politically sensitive vandalism.
Roozbeh Farahanipour, a political activist and member of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, told Iran International the graffiti represents what he described as a deliberate act of intimidation.
He said the public display of such messaging in Westwood sends what he described as a direct threat by the Islamic Republic and its affiliated networks against the Iranian-American community.
Farahanipour said the imagery reflects an effort by Iranian authorities and their supporters to project power “in the capital of their opposition,” referring to the concentration of Iranian dissidents and exiles in the area.
As an anti-war activist, he added that political activists and business owners in Westwood “will never allow the flag of the Islamic Republic to be displayed or normalized in this community.”
He further characterized the graffiti as a security concern, warning that such messaging, particularly amid ongoing tensions involving Iran, can contribute to fear and intimidation among residents.
For many residents of Westwood, often referred to as “Tehrangeles” because of its large Iranian-American population, the appearance of pro-Islamic Republic messaging carries emotional weight.
The neighborhood has historically served as a refuge for Iranians who left the country after the 1979 revolution and subsequent political repression.
