Donald Trump thanked Iran for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping once again but emphasized that the U.S. Navy will continue to blockade Iranian ports until an agreement is reached.
On 18 Apr 2026 GMT+7, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open for trade and navigation, but the U.S. maritime blockade will remain fully in effect against Iran until negotiations between the two sides are complete.
The U.S. leader added that the negotiation process is expected to proceed quickly since most key issues have already been discussed previously. Shortly before, Trump posted again stating that Iran had just announced the full reopening of the strait.
This development followed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s announcement that the Strait of Hormuz would be open to commercial vessels throughout the 10-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Trump also revealed that the U.S. and Iran might initiate a new round of peace talks by this weekend, claiming Iran has accepted nearly all conditions. Furthermore, Trump stated that Iran agreed to forgo nuclear weapons and to surrender enriched uranium stockpiles capable of weapon development. However, Iran has not yet confirmed this officially.
Source: Aljazeera