Trump Says Iran Deal Is Finished, Reopens Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump said overnight between Sunday and Monday that the agreement with Iran had been completed. In a post, he wrote, "The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is completed. Congratulations to everyone!" He also declared the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping and the immediate lifting of the U.S. naval blockade in the area.

Trump urged global shipping to resume normal activity, writing, "World's ships, start your engines. Let the oil flow!" He said full details of the accord had still not been released.

Before the announcement, Trump told The Wall Street Journal that the emerging deal would be an important step toward ending the long-running confrontation between Washington and Tehran, even though Iran had not yet formally approved the terms. He said the deal would include an Iranian commitment not to obtain nuclear weapons and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He added that the question of removing nuclear material from Iran would be handled later, and that there was no immediate pressure to do so.

Trump also said the agreement would not include transferring money to Iran, though he left open the possibility of lifting sanctions later. "We'll see how they behave," he said, adding that significant monitoring mechanisms would be used, without explaining how they would work. He said he believed both sides wanted to end the fighting, and added that "such a thing has never happened to them before." Trump also addressed tensions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after recent strikes in Lebanon, saying the military moves had almost harmed the diplomatic talks, but that Netanyahu supported the deal's principles. "Bibi is fine with it," he said. "Why is it good for Bibi? Because Iran must not have nuclear weapons under any circumstances."