Trump Eyes Iran Deal: Strait of Hormuz Blockade Set to Lift
A fragile ceasefire, buried nuclear material, and a 60-day clock — America and Iran stand at the edge of a historic agreement, or the brink of renewed war.
The fate of the world’s most critical oil chokepoint may rest on a single phone call, a Truth Social post, and the word of a government that Washington openly admits it does not fully trust. President Donald Trump announced Friday that the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports would be lifted as part of an emerging deal, declaring that Iran would renounce nuclear weapons and allow American-led removal of enriched uranium in what he called an “amazing and unprecedented” agreement. But as markets responded with cautious optimism and oil prices began to fall, Tehran’s chief negotiator struck a defiant tone, warning that Iran would not move until Washington moves first.
What Trump Said — and What Iran Says He Got Wrong
On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was heading to the Situation Room to make a “final determination” on the deal, telling sailors aboard ships waiting in the Strait of Hormuz: “Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!”
Trump outlined three core demands embedded in the emerging agreement:
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Iran must formally renounce nuclear weapons
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The Strait of Hormuz must reopen immediately with free, unrestricted passage
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Enriched uranium buried underground must be unearthed and destroyed, with the United States leading the excavation effort in coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
He also declared that the naval blockade — which he described as “amazing and unprecedented” — “will now be lifted,” contingent on Iran completing the “immediate removal and/or detonation” of underwater mines.
But Iran’s state-affiliated Fars News Agency pushed back sharply, calling Trump’s characterization “incomplete and inconsistent with reality.” According to Fars, the latest draft exchanged between both governments still leaves Iran in control of the waterway. “Although Iran has agreed to allow the number of passing vessels to return to pre-war levels, this in no way means ‘free passage’ as it existed before the war,” the outlet reported.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei added that the Strait of Hormuz is simply “not the business of the United States,” arguing that any mechanism governing access should be negotiated between Iran, Oman, and the surrounding nations.
A Deal Unlike Any Nuclear Agreement Before It
This proposal is strikingly different from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed under President Barack Obama. Where the JCPOA focused on limiting uranium enrichment, the Trump framework goes further — requiring Iran to physically excavate buried nuclear material and allow its destruction on Iranian soil.
Axios reported that the draft Memorandum of Understanding includes:
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A 60-day ceasefire extension with provisions that can be renewed by mutual agreement
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The Strait of Hormuz reopened with no tolls and all mines cleared by Iran
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U.S. easing of port blockade restrictions in exchange for verified Iranian compliance
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Iran permitted to sell oil freely on global markets during the 60-day window
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Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program to follow, including the fate of Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU)
A U.S. official told Axios that Trump’s governing principle throughout is “relief for performance” — meaning sanctions relief and unfrozen Iranian assets come only after tangible, verifiable steps by Tehran.
Dan Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, cautioned that Trump may be overselling the deal. “In reality, he simply opens 60 days of negotiations on disposing of Iran’s enriched uranium,” Shapiro wrote on X. “There is absolutely no guarantee of what those talks will achieve.”
Iran’s Position: “No Action Before the Other Side Acts”
Iran’s Parliament Speaker and chief nuclear negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf made Tehran’s posture unmistakably clear. “No action will be taken before the other side acts,” he stated, underscoring that Iran expects the United States to fulfill specific conditions before reciprocating on the Strait.
Ghalibaf also signaled renewed Iranian military confidence, noting that Iran’s armed forces had “rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire” — a message that functions simultaneously as a warning and a bargaining chip.
A Reuters source confirmed Sunday that Tehran has not agreed to surrender its highly enriched uranium stockpile, and that the nuclear question remains entirely outside the preliminary agreement as currently drafted.
This tension sits at the heart of the deal’s vulnerability: Trump is announcing an agreement that Iran says does not yet fully exist.
Global Stakes: Energy Markets, Inflation, and the Cost of Delay
The economic consequences of the Strait of Hormuz closure have been severe. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply flows through this narrow waterway. Since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, global crude oil prices surged to over $110 per barrel, helping push U.S. inflation to its highest point in years.
When Trump’s Friday posts signaled potential progress, markets responded. Newsweek reported that Brent crude fell to approximately $90.87 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate dropped to around $87.56 — both well off recent peaks. Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, who fear Iranian retaliation against regional infrastructure, have been pressing Trump hard to accept a framework deal.
For American consumers already squeezed by high fuel prices during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the prospect of restored oil flow through the Strait offers a rare moment of economic relief — if the deal holds.
Allies and Critics: From Pakistan to Capitol Hill
The diplomatic architecture behind this deal is genuinely multilateral. Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir served as the primary mediator, flying to Tehran for direct talks with Iranian officials. Pakistan’s military declared the talks “highly productive,” noting that “intensive negotiations over the last twenty-four hours have resulted in encouraging progress.”
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain all participated in a conference call with Trump on Saturday, and all voiced support for moving forward, according to three sources familiar with the call cited by Axios.
Yet powerful voices in Washington remain skeptical.
Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker both raised alarms. Graham warned that a deal leaving Iran with strategic control over the Strait would represent “a major shift of the balance of power in the region” that would become “a nightmare for Israel.” Senator Ted Cruz called it a “disastrous mistake” if Iran emerged from any deal still capable of developing nuclear weapons.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the reported deal “Not remotely America First” — drawing a profane and dismissive response from White House communications director Steven Cheung, who told Pompeo to “shut his stupid mouth and leave the real work to the professionals.”
Israel, meanwhile, is reportedly “very unhappy” with the emerging framework. An unnamed senior Israeli official told reporters that the deal signals Iran possesses a weapon — the Strait of Hormuz — “no less effective than a nuclear one.”
Netanyahu made his own position clear Sunday: “Any deal must dismantle Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites and remove its enriched nuclear material from its territory.”
What Happens Next?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in New Delhi, was cautiously optimistic, saying “good news” could come in the coming hours but acknowledging “there is still work to do.”
According to CNN’s reporting, the deal is expected to unfold in two phases:
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Phase One: Iran reopens the Strait to pre-war levels, provides assurances it will not pursue nuclear weapons, and resumes oil sales. The U.S. lifts port blockades and eases sanctions.
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Phase Two (30-60 days): Detailed negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, enriched uranium stockpile disposal, and broader peace terms.
But the White House itself rejected earlier reporting of a finalized framework as “a complete fabrication,” describing a leaked memorandum as inaccurate. That contradiction — paired with Iran’s public denials of key terms Trump announced — suggests the gap between a “deal largely negotiated” and a deal actually signed may be wider than the president’s Truth Social posts imply.
The Bigger Picture: A World Watching and Waiting
What is unfolding between Washington and Tehran is one of the most consequential diplomatic moments of the Trump presidency. The outcome will shape global energy prices, Middle Eastern security architecture, Israel’s long-term defense posture, and the future of nuclear non-proliferation.
The stakes could not be higher. A successful, verified agreement could deliver real economic relief to Americans at the pump, restore stability to an entire region, and keep nuclear weapons out of Iranian hands. A collapsed deal, or worse, a symbolic agreement that papers over unresolved core demands, could embolden Iran, fracture alliances, and set the stage for the next escalation.
For now, ships are waiting. Mines remain in the water. Negotiators are talking. And the world is watching a president who built his brand on unpredictability navigate one of the most predictably dangerous diplomatic environments on Earth.
Leave a comment below and let us know — do you think this Iran deal will hold? Share this story and keep the conversation going. Thanks for joining us here at the Mohawk Valley Voice for another deep dive into the stories that matter most. A special thanks to our producer, David LaGuerre, for his work pulling this together. We’ll see you next time.
