Iran's Revolutionary Guard says ships can now pass through the Strait of Hormuz

A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the foreground in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on May 2. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP

Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP

Iran's Revolutionary Guard says safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be provided after President Trump said he was pausing "Project Freedom," in which the U.S. military guided merchant vessels through the strategic waterway.

The Guard's navy command said in a post on social media that it will no longer block the passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic through the strait has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel launched their attack on Iran on Feb. 28, causing economic disruption around the world.

"We express our thanks to the captains and owners of ships stationed in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman for their cooperation in transiting through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with Iranian regulations and for the desirable participation of vessels in the regional maritime security," the online statement said.

"With the end of the aggressors' threats and in the shadow of new procedures, the possibility of safe and sustainable passage through the strait will be provided."

The statement came hours after President Trump said he was suspending the effort that began Monday the U.S. Navy helping two U.S.-flagged merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said the operation had come under fire from the Iranians and that several Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboats were sunk.

The Revolutionary Guard statement did not specify what it meant by "new procedures."

This is a developing story that will be updated.