President Donald Trump announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be "completely open" starting Friday, following an agreement between Iran and the United States aimed at concluding the conflict in the Middle East that had disrupted maritime traffic through the vital waterway.
Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron prior to a G7 summit, Trump indicated that international assistance for maintaining the strait's openness might be minimal, despite proposals from London and Paris for a joint naval operation. He stated, "I don't think we are going to need much help."
The President also noted that the Strait had already seen partial reopening, though efforts were ongoing to ensure it was cleared of mines. He emphasized the significance of the accord with Iran, asserting, "the main thing is Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."
Trump referenced the elimination of Iranian leadership figures, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following the commencement of hostilities on February 28. He suggested that the current leadership in Tehran was more amenable to negotiation, stating, "The first set (of leaders) is gone, the second set is gone and we found the third set to be very smart... We ended up making a deal." Specific leaders involved in these changes were not identified.
Concluding his remarks, Trump expressed optimism for the region, predicting, "I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now." He also confirmed that Vice President JD Vance would attend a deal signing ceremony on Friday, without specifying the location.
