Trump: Deal with Iran could reopen Hormuz Strait “over the weekend”

Washington: US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen “immediately” once a proposed agreement with Iran is signed, signalling progress in talks aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and easing tensions in the strategically vital waterway.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said US negotiators had made headway and suggested a deal could be finalised within days. “Immediately upon signing the memorandum of understanding, the Hormuz Strait will open, and it will open up quickly,” he said, adding that US forces had deployed minesweeping gear and had cleared most suspected mines.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to international shipping routes and is a key transit point for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, making any disruption a major concern for energy-importing countries such as India.

Trump described the main aim of the talks as ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. “We will not have a nuclear weapon or bomb. We will not develop one, we will not buy one,” he said, insisting the proposed deal would permanently block Tehran’s nuclear pathway.

The president also suggested US and Iranian personnel could jointly remove and destroy remaining nuclear-related material at Iranian sites. “As of this moment, it's agreed that we will go in with them, we will get it, and we will destroy it,” he said.

Trump credited recent US military strikes — including an operation involving B-2 bombers — with severely damaging Iranian nuclear infrastructure, and said remaining material would be difficult to access but should be eliminated under any agreement.

He acknowledged ongoing regional tensions but said these should not derail diplomacy. Trump said the US had made contact with Hezbollah and quoted the group as agreeing to avoid hostilities with Israel. He praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “a great partner” and said coordinated actions had averted a wider crisis.

Contrasting the current talks with the 2015 Obama-era nuclear deal, Trump called the earlier accord “a disgrace” and argued the new arrangement would be far stricter. He also noted economic considerations shaped his approach, saying he had worried about market reactions to military action but was reassured by later market performance.

Trump cautioned that a deal was not guaranteed. “If it happens — and it might not happen — who knows? But if it happens, it could happen like over the weekend,” he added.

(Inputs from IANS)