WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed to reopen a critical global shipping route while warning that US military pressure would continue until a broader agreement is finalised.
Addressing a Turning Point USA gathering in Arizona, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz was “fully open and ready for business and full passage, ” signalling a potential easing of tensions in one of the world’s most sensitive energy corridors.
At the same time, he made clear that US forces would maintain a strong presence. “The naval blockade… will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100 per cent complete and fully signed, ” he said.
Trump projected confidence in ongoing negotiations. “This process is getting along well… most of the points are already negotiated and agreed to, ” he said, adding that the outcome would ensure that “Iran… will never have a nuclear weapon.”
In his speech Trump indicated his plans for recovering what he called “nuclear dust, ” referring to residue from earlier US strikes in Iran. “We’re going to get it… we’re going to take it back home to the USA, ” he said, suggesting joint operations involving excavation.