US President Donald Trump has announced the lifting of the naval blockade imposed on Iran and said the strategically important Strait of Hormuz would be reopened for two-way maritime traffic, reports Al Jazeera.
Trump made the announcement in a post on his social media platform Truth Social ahead of a high-level meeting at the White House Situation Room.
In the post, the US president outlined several conditions for a possible agreement with Iran in exchange for the withdrawal of American restrictions.
Among the key conditions, Trump said Iran would never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons or atomic bombs.
He also demanded that the Strait of Hormuz be immediately reopened without any tolls for all international commercial vessels.
Trump further said Iran would have to deactivate or remove all remaining naval mines from the strait.
According to him, US advanced minesweeper units had already destroyed a large number of mines in the area.
On Iran’s nuclear programme, Trump claimed that enriched uranium buried underground following US B-2 bomber strikes nearly 11 months ago would be excavated and completely destroyed through joint coordination involving the United States, Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Addressing sailors and crews of vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz due to the blockade, Trump wrote: “Ships that were trapped can now begin the process of returning home. Say hello to your families from your favorite president.”
He also said no funds or financial transactions would be released “for now,” adding that both sides had agreed on several “less important” issues.
Trump said he was heading into a Situation Room meeting for final discussions on the matter.
