(LEAD) Trump thanks Iran for opening Strait of Hormuz, says blockade will remain until deal is struck

▲ This photo, released by the Associated Press, shows U.S. President Donald Trump speaking at a roundtable event about no tax on tips in Las Vegas on April 16, 2026.

(LEAD) Trump-Iran-Hormuz Strait

(LEAD) Trump thanks Iran for opening Strait of Hormuz, says blockade will remain until deal is struck

(ATTN: RECASTS para 2; UPDATES with more info, details in paras 6-8, 10-16)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday thanked Iran for opening the crucial Strait of Hormuz but said the United States' naval blockade of Iranian ports will remain "in full force" until the two sides agree to a deal.

Trump made the remarks on social media after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the strait, a vital energy shipping route, is "completely" open in line with a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which Trump announced on Thursday.

"The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage. But the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100 percent complete," Trump wrote on Truth Social in capital letters.

"This process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated," he added.

In a separate post, Trump said: "Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage. Thank you!"

Later, he claimed that Iran has agreed to "never close" the Strait of Hormuz again.

"It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!" he said on Truth Social.

Trump's remarks came as expectations have risen for a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran after he said Thursday that Tehran has agreed to almost everything, and that a new round of peace talks between Washington and Tehran might take place this weekend.

In particular, he said Iran has agreed not to have a nuclear weapon and that it has pledged to hand over the "nuclear dust," a term that he uses to refer to Iran's enriched uranium stockpile that could be used to build a nuclear bomb.

About 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity -- below the 90 percent level needed to build a bomb -- is believed to be buried deep underground in Iranian nuclear sites that the U.S. bombed in a strike campaign in June last year.

In a separate post on Friday, Trump said, "The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear 'Dust,' created by our great B-2 Bombers."

"No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form. This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah (Hezbollah) situation in an appropriate manner," he wrote, referring to the Iranian-backed militant group.

"Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!"

In another post, Trump criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) again for its members' refusal to provide assistance in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

"Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL," he said.

"They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!"

(END)

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