Lyse Doucet

Project Freedom has been paused.

President Donald Trump has said he's halting the military operation in a bid to reach a deal to end the war with Iran in the Middle East.

Now, the project was supposedly helping vessels leave the Strait of Hormuz and it began on Monday.

So what happens next?

Well, Lise Doucette is the BBC's chief international correspondent and she joins me now.

Good morning, Lise.

Good morning, Clare.

So yesterday we had the US Secretaries of State and Defence and the Joint Chief of Staff Chair explaining how Project Freedom would work, is working.

They invested a lot of time and effort in this.

Is it clear why Donald Trump reversed course last night?

So is it clear then that the Iranians said, we will come back to the table, but we need this Project Freedom business to end.

They just didn't like it.

And would you expect, Lise, that we will have significant and meaningful talks now as a result of this announcement from Donald Trump?

Or where does it leave the entire conflict?

I was struck last night watching Marco Rubio Lisa, the irony of him saying what we want is for ships to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz with no threat of mines, with no tolls, you know, absolute freedom of movement.

And I thought, well, that's that's what you had before the Americans went in and started the conflict.

Right.

So that's where it takes you back to.

And what was your sense during your visit to Iran of how they're coping with this constant pressure from the United States?

Because Donald Trump likes to say a lot that they are coming to the end of their tether.