Trump vows Strait of Hormuz reopening ‘soon’ amid US-Iran peace talks
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US President Donald Trump has pledged that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen “fairly soon”, with or without Iran’s cooperation, as Tehran’s blockade disrupts global energy supplies.
In remarks to reporters on Friday ahead of US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan, Trump insisted Washington would “open up the Gulf” with help from allies. “It won’t be easy,” he said, adding: “We will have that open fairly soon.”
Trump rejected Iran’s plan to impose fees on vessels for safe passage—a de facto toll system—even if a deal ends the war. “If they are doing that, we’re not going to let that happen,” he stated before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
He prioritised preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons in any agreement, claiming the strait would open up “automatically”. “No nuclear weapons, that’s 99 percent of it,” Trump said. “If we just left … otherwise they make no money.”
Despite a two-week ceasefire announced on Tuesday, shipping remains at a standstill. Only two vessels transited the strait on Friday, down from five the day before, per S&P Global Market Intelligence. Since the truce began, just 22 ships with active AIS have exited, versus 135 daily pre-war.
Over 600 vessels, including 325 tankers, languish in the Gulf, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
On Saturday, US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will lead talks in Islamabad to secure a permanent war end. The sides differ on terms, including Tehran’s 10-point plan.
