Exclusive: Trump says Strait of Hormuz fight is 'over,' calls it a 'victory'
Exclusive: Trump says Strait of Hormuz fight is 'over,' calls it a 'victory'
Zac Anderson, USA TODAYFri, April 17, 2026 at 2:44 PM UTC
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President Donald Trump said the fight with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz is "over,'' declaring in a phone interview with USA TODAY that the deal reached Friday was ''a great victory.'
"It's over, it's a great victory," Trump said in an April 17 phone call.
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in an April 17 social media post that the strait is "completely open." Roughly 20% of the world's oil is transported through the waterway. Restoring shipping traffic in the strait has been a major focus of the U.S. in negotiations over ending the war.
1 / 0See JD Vance in Pakistan for Iran peace talksPakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shakes hands with U.S. Vice President JD Vance during their meeting, on the day delegations from the United States and Iran are to hold peace talks, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026.
"In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran," Araghchi said.
Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7 that was conditioned on the strait reopening, but Tehran balked at allowing passage through the strait while Israel bombarded Lebanon, arguing the fighting was supposed to end as part of the ceasefire.
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Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire on April 16.
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion on his "no tax on tips" policy at the AC Hotel Las Vegas Symphony Park in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 16, 2026.
Despite Iran's announcement of the strait reopening, Trump said on social media the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports will remain in "full force" for now.
"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% COMPLETE. THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED," Trump said in an April 17 post.
The U.S. has been negotiating with Iran to turn the two-week ceasefire into a permanent peace deal. The first round of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan failed to produce a deal. Trump said April 16 that a second round of in-person talks could take place over the weekend.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says Hormuz fight is 'over,' calls it a 'victory': Exclusive
Source: “AOL Breaking”
