Hormuz blockade stays unless Iran deal is reached: Trump
US president signals ceasefire may not be extended, keeping pressure on Tehran as talks stall over uranium, shipping routes, and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump said late on Friday that the United States will maintain its blockade of Iranian ports unless a peace agreement is reached with Tehran, warning he may also allow the current ceasefire to expire.
“Maybe I won’t extend it, but the blockade is going to remain,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked about the truce, which is set to expire on Wednesday.
The comments come as Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire linked to regional fighting, while warning it could shut the critical shipping lane again if US pressure continues.
Trump said he still believes a deal is possible despite major gaps between Washington and Tehran after earlier talks in Pakistan failed to produce an agreement.
“I think it’s going to happen,” he said.
Major gaps between US-Iran
A major sticking point remains Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. Trump insisted any final deal would include the joint transfer of Iran’s stored uranium to the United States—an idea Tehran has publicly rejected.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said earlier that its uranium reserves would not be transferred “anywhere,” highlighting the sharp divide between both sides.
Trump also said Iran would not be allowed to impose tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a proposal Tehran had previously floated during earlier negotiations.
In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump said Xi Jinping was “very happy” about the reopening of the waterway and described their planned May summit in Beijing as potentially “historic.”
With the ceasefire deadline approaching and core disputes unresolved, the next few days could determine whether diplomacy holds—or the pressure campaign intensifies.