'Hormuz has been open for months, you just didn't know', Trump claims as Iran deal hangs in limbo
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said a peace agreement between the United States and Iran could be signed within days, while also claiming that the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been open for months.
Speaking to reporters when asked about the timeline for a peace deal, Trump suggested that the agreement could be finalised as early as this weekend or Monday, though he stopped short of setting a formal deadline. Follow LIVE updates here
“Strait have been open for a number of months already”
“…The Strait is going to open immediately. This signing, maybe it’ll happen on Saturday or Monday… We think it’s going to go pretty quickly. I don’t want to say a deadline, because if I say a deadline, you’ll say, oh, he didn’t meet the deadline… it’s going to get signed. And the strait is open. But the strait have been open for a number of months already, and you just didn’t know about it… I just announced yesterday that we bought a lot of ships across and millions, hundreds of millions of barrels of oil were brought across…”
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CENTCOM says transit route remains open
Trump’s remarks came after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) asserted on social media that “The Strait of Hormuz remains open for transit.”
Here’s are the five things CENTCOM said:
- Safe pathways have been established for commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
- The pathways are available to all vessels not violating the blockade against Iran.
- Hundreds of ships have transited the route in the last two months.
- US forces are postured to defend against Iranian aggression.
- The command also stated that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz.
100 million oil barrels, 200 ships moved through Hormuz
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that the United States has ensured the safe passage of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, saying a covert military operation enabled the transit of more than 100 million barrels of oil and over 200 commercial vessels through the strategically important waterway.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market.”
“More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait. This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran. Their military is defeated, and their economy is lost. It’s over for Iran! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP” the post read.
Trump calls it a ‘great settlement’
The US President described the proposed agreement as a major diplomatic breakthrough and said it could be signed in Europe after the remaining documents are finalised.
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“We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
He added,”The two sides would, subject to finalisation of documents, which should get done over the next few days, probably have a signing, maybe in Europe. It’s a great thing.”
Trump also said he believed Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had personally approved the agreement, adding that Iran had accepted it because they had “taken a pounding.”
Iran says no final decision yet
Iran indicated that the proposed agreement has not yet received final approval.
Iranian media quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying that much of the draft text under negotiation has been completed, but Tehran would not compromise on its key positions.
“We have not reached a final conclusion on this matter,” he said. “This is a very important issue that is currently being reviewed by the relevant decision-making bodies.”