Oil & Energy
Trump Says Strait of Hormuz Must Remain Open, Signals Military Action if Iran Talks Collapse
US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz must be opened for everyone, and that Iran or any other country cannot be allowed full control over the Strait, warning of further military action if negotiations fail.Trump made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting with US officials held on Wednesday."The Strait is going to be open to everybody. It's international orders, nobody's going to control it," Trump said when asked whether he would accept a short-term arrangement allowing Iran and Oman to control the passage.He added that the US will continue watching over it. "We're going to watch over it, we'll watch over it, but nobody's going to control it. That's part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it," he said.Trump also issued a direct warning over any attempt to restrict access through the strait, adding, "... Oman will behave just like everybody else, and we'll have to blow them up."US-Iran peace negotiations are currently still ongoing and remain unresolved.However, Trump said Iran is still very keen on coming to a peace deal. "Iran is very much intent; they want very much to make a deal. So far, they haven't gotten there, not, we're not satisfied with it, but that we will be," Trump said.He said that it will be "either that or we'll have to just finish the job."Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the administration's position, saying diplomacy remained the preferred option but reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon."I think there's been some progress and some interest, and we'll see over the next few hours and days whether progress could be made," Rubio said.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US remained prepared to take military action if negotiations failed."So, whether it is through the efforts of your [US] negotiators that they ensure that they [Iran] never have a nuclear weapon, or we have to go back to the War Department to finish the job that way, we're prepared to do that...," Hegseth said.He added that the administration was targeting Iranian oil shipments globally, with many being seized.Trump also rejected the possibility of sanctions relief for Tehran."No, we're not talking about any easing of sanctions or giving money. No sanctions, no money, no nothing," he said when asked whether the US would allow Iran to return oil to global markets."We have control of the money that they claim is theirs. We'll keep control of that money when they behave properly and when they do what's right, we'll let them have their money, but right now we're not doing that," Trump added.The president said energy markets would stabilize despite tensions in the Gulf and predicted gasoline prices would decline "by a lot.""It'll come, it'll come down to where it was before we had it," Trump said of fuel prices.He also said the US and its allies were managing shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, describing that there were many vessels in the Strait "wanting to get out.""At the right time, we'll release them," he said.Trump further linked any future agreement with Iran to a broader regional diplomatic push involving Arab states and the Abraham Accords."... we'd like to have them join the Abraham Accords. It'll be historic if they do it," he said, referring to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and other Gulf countries."I'm not sure we should make the deal if they don't sign," Trump added.