WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Since mid-April, the U.S. military has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports. That operation has effectively denied tens of millions of dollars in oil revenue to Iran every day. Late Tuesday, President Donald Trump doubled down on the blockcade, writing in a social media post, the effort to get the shipping lanes open, Project Freedom, was on pause pending further talks.

In the White House Briefing Room on Tuesday, Gray Media’s White House correspondent Jon Decker asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the nature of that blockade, which forces ships to return to Iran or face seizure.

“There are lawmakers from both parties who claim the blockade is an act of war. What do you say to that?”

“And so why do we have a blockade? We have a blockade because they shut down the straits. So I don’t know which members of Congress you’re talking to. But here’s what I would ask them. I would ask everybody here. It’s very simple. These guys have shut down the Straits of Hormuz. This is what Iran is saying. We will shut down the Straits. No one can go through. No country in the world can go through unless we allow you to go through. And you have to pay us. But our ships can go through, meaning the Iranian ships as much as they want. That’s crazy. Who would agree to that? So how are we going to have a situation where they get to close the straits to everybody, and the only people who are allowed to go through their 100% without paying anything are the Iranians. If you do that, they’ll keep the straits closed forever. They’re trying to make this some new normal. Okay. Under no circumstances can we ever allow them to normalize the fact that they get to blow up commercial ships and put mines in the water. So the response to that is, we’re going to blockade your ships. If everyone’s ships are not getting out, your ships are not getting out either. That’s not an act of war. That’s a defensive measure.”

The Trump Administration has described this military effort as “blockading their blockade.” Rubio and the President have both expressed the belief that the blockade will ultimately force Iran to capitulate to the President’s demands.

Late Tuesday, President Donald Trump changed strategies in a social media post, writing, “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. President DONALD J. TRUMP”

Project Freedom had been confirmed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chair of the Join Chiefs Dan Caine just hours earlier.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is on maternity leave, following the birth of her second child.