Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman.
President Trump is claiming, quote, great progress toward an agreement with Iran.
NPR's Franco Ordonez reports he is pausing the U.S. Military operation to help guide
commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement to pause what Trump calls Project Freedom came just hours after the president expressed frustration to reporters
that Iranian leaders had yet to capitulate after two months of a U.S. Military and economic pressure campaign.
They should wave the white flag, the white flag of surrender.
In hockey, they say, uncle, right?
When are they going to cry uncle?
But by the afternoon, the president was saying they were close to a deal.
And he was calling off the action at the request of the Pakistani mediators to see
if an agreement can be finalized and signed.
Trump emphasized that the U.S. Blockade on Iranian ports would remain in effect.
Franco, Ordonez, NPR News.
More than 30 people are dead after Russia targeted several cities across eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine responded with drone strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea.
The attacks came hours before a Ukrainian-proposed ceasefire went into effect.
NPR's Charles Maines reports from Moscow.
Kiev said it was imposing an open-ended ceasefire as of midnight Wednesday.
In effect, it 's a challenge to Moscow to extend its own proposed truce May 8th and 9th when Russia