Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. Just two days into the operation dubbed Project Freedom, the U.S. Navy is stopping efforts to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. NPR's Franco Ordonez reports Trump says he's calling off the action to see if an agreement with Iran can be reached. President Trump announced he was pausing the military escorts after declaring,

quote, great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran. He added that he was also acting on a request by the leaders of Pakistan, which is helping

negotiate an agreement as well as other countries. Trump said on social media that the pause will only be

for a short period of time to see whether or not an agreement can be finalized and signed,

but he emphasized that the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports would continue. Earlier in the day,

Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Project Freedom as a defensive operation and that the U.S. would only respond if fired upon.

Franco, Ordonez, and Peonius, the White House.

Americans are paying an average of $4.48 a gallon for regular gas today. In California, it's $6.13. That's up about 50% since the war with Iran began. President Trump has claimed gas prices will come crashing down after the war. But as Martha Gimbel, the executive director of the Yale Budget Lab, explains even if the conflict ends soon, it'll take a long time for gas prices to go down.

There are many factors that go into affordability. One thing to keep in mind is that we've

already seen not just holding back of supply, but supply destruction. And so it's going to take

time to rebuild facilities to start production up again.

It's not the case that you can just turn it on and off like a switch.

Martha Gimbel from the Yale Budget Lab.

A grand jury has handed up an indictment against the man accused of trying to storm the White House correspondence dinner.

31-year-old Cole Allen faces four counts, as NPR's Ryan Lucas reports.

Cole Allen was previously charged by criminal complaint with three counts, including most

notably trying to assassinate President Trump. Now the indictment adds a fourth count,

assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors say Allen traveled from Los Angeles

to Washington, D.C. to try to kill President Trump at the White House Correspondence dinner.

Alan was stopped by Secret Service agents second after he ran past a security checkpoint.

He is being detained pending trial. He is scheduled to be back in court next week for his arraignment.

Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

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