Donald Trump announced he is lifting the U.S. naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, clearing detained vessels to leave a waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil. The move follows a proposed agreement with Iran, though Tehran has yet to formally accept it.
Trump posted the announcement on social media. “Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of ‘heading home!’ Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!” he wrote.
The proposed deal rests on two conditions. Iran must guarantee safe passage for all marine traffic through the strait. It must also commit to abandoning any path to nuclear weapons.
“Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb,” Trump added in the same post, before adding, “The enriched material, sometimes referred to as ‘Nuclear Dust,’ which is buried deep underground with virtually collapsed mountains, caused by our powerful B2 Bomber attack 11 months ago, sitting on top of it, will be unearthed by the United States.”
The blockade has been in place since fighting broke out in the region at the end of February. The strait has been a focal point of that conflict throughout, giving Washington significant leverage over shipping lanes used by economies worldwide, including Canada’s. Beyond crude oil, the corridor carries natural gas, fertilizer, and other commodities.
Whether the arrangement holds depends entirely on Tehran. The nuclear condition, in particular, is sweeping and was set unilaterally by Washington, with no verification framework disclosed in Trump’s announcement.
Trump also said that “no money will be exchanged, until further notice.”
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