The breaking news tonight, the old operation is over.

The new one is on hold.

We think that's what the administration announced just moments ago.

John Berman here in for Anderson in just hours after his Secretary of State flat out said the initial mission against Iran, Epic Fury, was over.

The president said the operation that replaced it, guiding ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Project Freedom, as it's called,

is paused. And not surprisingly, the president announced this 180 online, quoting him now,

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. So those words landed just a short time ago and they completely

upended a day of singing the praises of, you guessed it, Project Freedom. This is a defensive operation.

And what that means is very simple.

There's no shooting unless we're shot at first.

We're not attacking them.

But if they're attacking us, or they're attacking a ship, you need to respond to that.

This is defensive.

So if you hear stories about attacks and launching

of firing back and forth, it's not back and forth. We are only responding of attacked first.

So this echoes similar language from the defense secretary earlier today, who was also asked

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