US Iran War: US President Donald Trump says the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened the moment a deal with Iran is signed. Trump also hinted that he might not personally attend the signing ceremony proposed to take place in Europe over the weekend, suggesting that Vance, Kushner and Witkoff could be present in his place. His remarks drew a response from Iranian Parliament Speaker and negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Ghalibaf warned that if the United States takes decisions 'in haste', it could create a 'never-ending difficult situation'.
What did Donald Trump say?
According to Trump, as President of the United States he has cancelled the planned strikes and bombing against Iran. He said all parties involved in the talks with Iran have given their approval, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and several other nations. Trump made it clear that until this agreement is fully finalised, the naval blockade will remain completely in force, and it will stay in place until this entire transaction is completed; the time and venue for the signing will be announced soon. Addressing a tele-rally, Trump declared that America has ended the war with Iran.
What all did the US President say about the war?
- Trump said, "I don't know if you've heard or not, but today (Thursday) we have ended the war with Iran, and they have agreed never to possess nuclear weapons — which is what we had insisted on. That was the main objective."
- He said the stock market "likes this deal" and that it would be signed soon. According to Trump, once the agreement is finalised, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen.
- Trump remarked, "This is a very strong Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). It is a little theoretical, but the job will get done." He called it a "very detailed Memorandum of Understanding".
- Trump claimed that Iran has promised to give up forever any attempt to acquire nuclear weapons.
- He said, "They will neither buy nor develop nuclear weapons in any way. They will not have nuclear weapons."
- Asked about Iran agreeing to the deal, Trump replied, "They have taken a beating that very few can withstand — and they want this deal even more than I do."
Threat of a fierce strike, then Trump backtracks
On Thursday morning, Trump had threatened to launch a "very fierce" attack on Iran and to seize Kharg Island, Iran's oil export hub. But just a few hours later, he abruptly called off the strikes, citing progress in the peace talks. Trump's comment about signing a peace agreement with Iran over the weekend came during an event where he announced the resumption of commercial fishing in protected areas of the Pacific Ocean. Over the past few weeks, Trump has repeatedly said that the United States and Iran were close to a deal, but no formal agreement has yet been reached.
