Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz “permanently open” on Wednesday, following talks with his Chinese counterpart, as pressure mounts on the US to end the war with Iran and restore global shipping. The apparent climbdown came just hours after Trump said he was employing US forces to impose a blockade of Iranian ports, a move the military said had completely halted sea trade in and out of the country.
Trump vowed to reopen the strait “for China” in an unusual concession to a trade rival, promising “this situation will never happen again” and adding that the Chinese leader would “give me a big, fat hug when I get there in a few weeks”. Despite his social media post, the vital waterway remained restricted on Wednesday, with a senior administration official stating the blockade was still fully in effect.
As Trump’s post prompted cautious optimism, a Pakistani delegation headed for Iran to plan a second round of peace talks between Washington and Tehran, which could take place next week. The US appeared to be hedging its bets, with preparations to deploy 6,000 troops on the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush, while another 4,200 personnel were expected to arrive by the end of the month.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “has wisely kept all options on the table” regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The US military reported nine vessels had complied with orders to turn back during the blockade, while Iran’s Mehr news agency said Tehran would switch to alternative ports. Mediators are still trying to convene the second round of talks, with a fragile two-week ceasefire set to expire next week.
Trump was optimistic, telling ABC News he did not think it would be necessary to extend the ceasefire, and assessing the war to be “close to over”. He continued attacks on Nato, writing that “Nato wasn’t there for us”, following reports of Europe planning a “European Nato” without US involvement. He also threatened to rip up the trade deal with Britain, describing the special relationship as in a “sad” state.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted he “won’t yield” to pressure from Trump to join the war, telling MPs: “It is not our war. … It is not in our national interest to join this war, and we will not do so.”
