Trump orders lifting of Strait of Hormuz blockade
Shafaq News- Washington
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Washington would lift the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the strategic waterway must be reopened immediately without any transit fees.
Trump stated that Iran must agree never to obtain a nuclear weapon and demanded unrestricted maritime traffic through the Strait in both directions.
On the enriched nuclear material, the US president claimed that it will be “will be unearthed by the United States (which, it is agreed, is the only Country, along with China, with the mechanical capability of doing so!), in close coordination and conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency, and destroyed.” Trump added that no financial transfers would take place “until further notice,” while noting that additional matters had also been agreed upon without providing details.
He pointed out that he would meet with his national security team in the White House Situation Room to make a final determination on the proposed arrangements.
Iran's Fars News Agency reported, citing informed sources, that Trump's remarks were a “mix of truth and falsehood” aimed at projecting a political victory before a final deal is approved. The sources indicated that the draft memorandum remains under review in Tehran and has not yet received final approval. They also pointed to provisions not mentioned by Trump, including the release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets and a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Washington and Tehran are negotiating a draft memorandum of understanding aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass, while reducing tensions across several regional theaters, including Lebanon.
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