US Politics
Trump says Strait of Hormuz to reopen after Iran peace deal ‘largely negotiated’
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Donald Trump announced Saturday that a major peace agreement with Iran is near finalization, following a high-level conference call from the Oval Office with key regional leaders.
Writing on Truth Social, the U.S. president stated that a Memorandum of Understanding has been “largely negotiated,” subject to final details being settled between the U.S., the Islamic Republic of Iran, and a broad coalition of Middle Eastern and South Asian nations.
The breakthrough comes after a series of calls involving the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey and Pakistan’s military chief.
Trump also confirmed he held a separate, concurrent call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the framework, which he described as having gone “very well.”
A central element of the emerging deal is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical channel for global oil supplies that the conflict has heavily disrupted.
The White House stated that the final aspects of the agreement are currently being discussed by negotiators and a formal announcement is expected shortly.
The sudden announcement follows a period of heavy escalation and direct military threats.
Hours before his Truth Social post, Trump issued an ultimatum warning that he would return to open warfare if Tehran rejected American terms, Axios reported.
“Either we reach a good deal or I’ll blow them to a thousand hells,” Trump said.
He added that he would review the latest draft agreement with senior advisers — including Vice President JD Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — on Saturday before making a final decision by Sunday on whether to resume military operations.
Trump stated he would only sign a deal where the U.S. gets “everything we want,” including provisions ensuring Iran’s enriched uranium is “satisfactorily handled.”
The threat showed the fragile nature of the current ceasefire, which has paused the Iran war since April 8.
Negotiations had previously stalled over control of the shipping lane. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei had said that neighboring coastal states — rather than the U.S. — should dictate security protocols for the Strait.
Before the president’s sudden Oval Office calls, peace talks had appeared to be failing. This prompted the Pentagon to prepare for an immediate escalation, with U.S. military and intelligence officials cancelling their Memorial Day weekend plans in anticipation of potential airstrikes if the talks collapsed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking during a visit to New Delhi, confirmed that progress was being made by negotiators behind the scenes. Under the proposed framework, the U.S. and Iran would agree to halt military action and enter 30 days of formal negotiations aimed at securing a broader, permanent agreement.
