Aboard Air Force One: President Donald Trump said late Friday that he intends to maintain a US blockade of Iranian ports if a peace deal with Tehran is not reached, adding that he may also choose not to extend the current ceasefire once it expires.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, but warned it could shut the crucial passage again if the US blockade remains in place.
The ceasefire between Tehran and Washington is scheduled to expire on Wednesday.“Maybe I won’t extend it, but the blockade is going to remain,” Trump told reporters when asked about the possibility of extending the truce.
When questioned about the prospects of a deal, Trump said, “I think it’s going to happen.”However, significant differences persist between the United States and Iran, which previously failed to reach an agreement during talks held in Pakistan.
Trump also stated that Iran would not impose tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz — a proposal Tehran had suggested in earlier peace discussions.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Xi Jinping was “very happy” about the reopening of the global oil chokepoint.
“Our meeting in China will be a special one and, potentially, Historic,” Trump added, referring to a summit planned in Beijing in May.He further claimed that under the proposed agreement, Washington and Tehran would jointly transfer enriched uranium stored in Iran to the United States as part of efforts to end the conflict that began on February 28.
However, Iran’s foreign ministry has rejected the idea, stating that its uranium stockpile would not be transferred “anywhere.”