UNITED STATES PERSPECTIVE

Washington oscillates between triumphalism and embarrassment on the morning of May 6. Morning: Hegseth on the Pentagon steps defends Project Freedom as non-negotiable, Rubio at the White House calls it a 'favour to the world.' Evening: Trump posts the suspension on Truth Social, citing 'great progress' toward a 'complete and final agreement' with Iran.

The dissonance is total. Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine had announced 15,000 troops and 100 aircraft in position — 'you will feel US combat power around you on the sea, in the skies and on the radio.' Two American vessels had successfully transited the strait. Then silence.

The New York Times headlines 'Trump and Rubio Insist Iran War Is Over, Even as Missiles Fly During Cease-Fire' — documenting the gap between Washington's rhetoric and reality on the ground. In Congress, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi accuses Trump of 'falsely' telling lawmakers the war was over. The 60-day War Powers Act deadline passed last week without Congressional authorization.

The official US framing: the suspension is a tactical concession granted to Pakistan to 'see whether an agreement can be finalized.' The naval blockade of Iranian ports remains fully in effect. Trump: 'Their military is totally gone, we could do anything we want to them.'