NPR News: 05-04-2026 4AM EDT

President Trump has launched Project Freedom to help ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz escape safely, amid stalled talks to end the ongoing war there. The NPR News Now broadcast also covers criticism of U.S. military moves in Europe, Rudy Giuliani's hospitalization, and a range of domestic reports including rising gas prices, an airline incident, arts awards, and a shooting.

Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz

President Trump announced Project Freedom, set to begin today, as an operation to assist ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz and guide them out of the waterway securely. This comes as no new face-to-face negotiations are scheduled to resolve the war. Suzanne DiMaggio, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who has led unofficial talks with nations like Iran that lack U.S. diplomatic ties, outlined a potential path forward. She proposed that the U.S. publicly end its blockade, prompting Iran—possibly at the same time—to declare the strait open and commit to negotiations. This suggestion highlights a diplomatic off-ramp tied directly to de-escalating maritime restrictions, which have stranded vessels and heightened tensions in this critical global oil chokepoint.