Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz, Trump says blockade will remain until deal is signed

The reopening of the vital energy shipping route added to growing expectations that Washington and Tehran could be able to reach a deal to end their war during a new round of their peace talks, which Trump said might take place this weekend.

On the day, Trump struck a positive tone again about the prospects of a peace deal, telling reporters that there are not "too many significant differences" with Iran. In a phone interview with Axios, he said he expects a deal to come "in the next day or two."

"The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage. But the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100 percent complete," Trump wrote on Truth Social in capital letters.

"This process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated," he added.

In a separate post, Trump said: "Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage. Thank you!"

Later, he claimed that Tehran has agreed to "never close" the Strait of Hormuz again.

"It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!" he said in another post.

But Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, wrote on X that with the U.S. blockade, the strait will not remain open.

Earlier in the day, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the strait is "completely" open "on a coordinated route" in line with a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which Trump announced on Thursday.

During a public event in Arizona, Trump reiterated progress in the negotiations with Iran, stressing, "Most of the points are already negotiated and agreed to."

On Thursday, Trump claimed Iran has agreed not to have a nuclear weapon and that it has pledged to hand over the "nuclear dust," a term that he uses to refer to Iran's enriched uranium stockpile that could be used to build a nuclear bomb.

About 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity -- below the 90 percent level needed to build a bomb -- is believed to be buried deep underground in Iranian nuclear sites that the U.S. bombed in a strike campaign in June last year.

"The USA will get all nuclear dust. You know that white powdery substance created by our B-2 bombers ... late one evening seven months ago," he said during the event hosted by Turning Point USA, a conservative organization.

"No money will exchange hands in anyway, shape or form."

He also explained how the U.S. will take Iran's uranium stockpile.

"We are going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators," he said, noting the stockpile has been so deep underground that the retrieval process will require "the biggest excavators you can imagine."

"We are going to take it back home to the USA very soon."

During a press availability shortly before the Arizona event, the president said that the negotiations with Iran are "going on" and will take place "over the weekend."

"A lot of good things are happening. That includes Lebanon," he said.

He also downplayed differences with Iran.

"I don't think there's too many significant differences," he said.

Commenting on the U.S. naval blockade, Trump said that it will end when a peace deal with Iran is signed.

In another Truth Social post, Trump criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) again for its members' refusal to provide assistance in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

"Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL," he said.

"They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!"

Earlier, it was reported that the Strait of Hormuz will remain fully open during ceasefire.