By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday thanked US President Donald Trump for pausing "Project Freedom" in the Strait of Hormuz, praising what he called Trump's "courageous leadership" and crediting Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for helping secure the diplomatic breakthrough.

The prime minister's public gratitude came hours after Trump announced a temporary pause in the U.S. naval escort mission through the strategic waterway, citing requests from Pakistan and other nations.

In a post on X, Sharif wrote: "I am grateful to President Donald Trump for his courageous leadership and timely announcement regarding the pause in Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz."

He added: "President Trump's gracious response to the request made by Pakistan and other brotherly countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my dear brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia H.R.H Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period."

The prime minister tagged Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and the handle @SEPeaceMissions, while also tagging Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and the Saudi foreign ministry account @KSAmofaEN.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the US military would temporarily pause "Project Freedom" -- the operation launched just two days earlier to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

"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 wrote.

Trump first announced "Project Freedom" on Sunday, vowing to escort ships through the strait despite Iran's insistence that any transit requires its prior approval.

Regional tensions have soared since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering Iranian retaliation and widespread disruptions in the strait, through which nearly a fifth of global oil passes.

A ceasefire brokered by Pakistan took effect on April 8, though subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Trump later extended the truce without a set deadline. Since April 13, the U.S. has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.

Also on Tuesday, Iran introduced a new mechanism governing ship transits through the strait, with vessels required to receive an email from an entity called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) and comply with regulations before obtaining a transit permit, according to state-run Press TV.

Sharif's post reinforced Pakistan's role as a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran — a position Islamabad has cultivated since brokering the initial April 8 ceasefire.

"Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all efforts that promote restraint and a peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy," Sharif wrote. "We are very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond."

By publicly tagging both US and Iranian leadership in a single post, analysts say Sharif is signaling Islamabad's unique access to both capitals -- a role few other nations can claim.

Sharif's explicit mention of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia suggests Riyadh played a behind-the-scenes role in persuading Trump to pause the operation. Saudi Arabia, a longtime US ally, has also sought to maintain dialogue with Iran since the 2023 Beijing-brokered rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran.

Trump emphasized that the naval blockade "will remain in full force and effect," meaning the pause applies only to active escort missions under Project Freedom, not to the broader U.S. military posture in the Gulf.

The temporary pause creates a narrow diplomatic window. If talks succeed, the pause could become permanent. If they fail, Trump has left the door open to resuming operations.