President Donald Trump said the United States may allow the ceasefire deal with Iran to expire next week if no deal is reached to end the war by Wednesday.
Despite that outlook, Trump said there was also “pretty good news” regarding Iran but the president declined to elaborate as he spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington, DC, from Arizona.
Earlier on April 17, Iran said it scrapped reopening the Strait of Hormuz after Trump said he would not call off the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, despite the country’s concession to allow commercial traffic through the critical waterway.
“With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open,” Mohammad B. Ghalibaf, Iran’s speaker of Parliament and one of the country’s top negotiators, said in a series of statements late on the evening of April 17. “Whether the Strait is open or closed and the regulations governing it will be determined by the field, not by social media.”
The country’s move to continue throttling traffic through the channel off the Iranian coast comes hours after the country’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi had declared the shipping lane “completely open” to commercial vessels. Araghchi said Iran reopened the strait in response to the ceasefire being extended to Lebanon, where Iran’s allies have faced Israeli attacks. Trump then thanked Iran for opening the trade route but said the blockade would remain in “full force” until Tehran makes a deal to end the war.
The president has said repeatedly throughout the week that he expected more peace talks to take place imminently and that he might fly to Pakistan to oversee a deal. But no talks have been announced. Separately, Ghalibaf also characterized Trump’s statements about the state of negotiations as “false.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for comment on the Iranian leader’s remarks.
Michael Loria
President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Friday evening that he may allow the ceasefire with Iran to expire Wednesday if no deal is reached by then.
“Maybe I won’t extend it, but the blockade is going to remain,” Trump told reporters on his way back to Washington, DC, from Phoenix. “So you have a blockade, and unfortunately we have to start dropping bombs again.”
The president’s comments came shortly after he said Iran had already “agreed to” most of his administration’s demands in negotiations.
Contributing: Reuters.
Michael Loria
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Friday evening denied U.S. forces sent to the Middle East to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports are not getting enough to eat.
“My team confirmed the logistics stats for the Lincoln & Tripoli. Both have 30+ days of Class I supplies (food) on board. NavCent monitors this everyday, for every ship,” Hegseth said in a post on social media. “Our sailors deserve — and receive — the best.”
Hegseth’s comments come after reporting by USA TODAY showed meals being served aboard warships to troops deployed to fight the Iran war. One photo of the meals showed half-empty trays with a single tortilla and a small scoop of meat.
Navy officials also said “a temporary hold on sending mail into theater, due to combat operations, has been lifted.”
The statement comes after military families told USA TODAY they were unable to send care packages to their loved ones deployed to the Middle East. Family members, citing the photos, said they worried their relatives stationed aboard warships were not getting enough to eat.
Contributing by USA TODAY National Security Reporter Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Michael Loria
President Trump at a public event in Arizona Friday evening doubled down on comments about the state of negotiations with Iran, saying “we’re getting along well” and negotiations “should go very quickly.”
“Most of the points are already negotiated and agreed to,” the president told a crowd at a political rally hosted by Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action, the political arm of the conservative group founded by slain commentator Charlie Kirk.
Trump said Iran had conceded that “the USA will get all nuclear dust,” referring to the country’s highly enriched uranium; “no money will exchange hands in any way, shape or form,” referring to Iran’s demand for reparations for strikes on the country; “Iran, with the help of the USA, is removing all of the sea mines”; and “most importantly they will never have a nuclear weapon.”
“We’re getting along well with Iran, but who knows,” Trump said. “Who knows with anyone but who knows with Iran in particular.”
Iran described Trump’s characterization of negotiations as “false.”
“They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either,” said Mohammad B. Ghalibaf, Iran’s speaker of Parliament.
The White House has not responded to requests for comment.
Michael Loria
U.S. naval forces have directed 21 vessels exiting Iranian ports “to turn around and return to Iran,” Central Command said in a statement Friday evening.
“Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) patrols the Arabian Sea, April 17, as U.S. forces enforce the naval blockade on ships attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports,” the military command overseeing the Middle East said in sharing a photo of the American destroyer. “Since commencement of the blockade, 21 ships have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return to Iran.”
The military’s announcement regarding the continuation of the naval blockade comes hours after President Trump said U.S. Navy forces would remain on the waters off the coast of Iran, blocking the country’s ship movements, until Iran had agreed to a peace deal.
Iran has responded by saying they will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as they had announced they would do Friday morning.
Michael Loria
A top Iranian official slammed comments made by President Trump regarding peace negotiations as “false” and said “the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open.”
“The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false,” said Mohammad B. Ghalibaf, the country’s speaker of Parliament and one of the negotiators who went to Pakistan last weekend to meet with U.S. officials. “They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either.”
Ghalibaf’s comments come after Trump shared a string of statements claiming everything from “Iran, with the help of the U.S.A., has removed, or is removing, all sea mines!” to “the Hormuz Strait situation is over.”
The Iranian leader said the country will close the strait to vessels not authorized by the Iranian military as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports continues.
USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for comment.
Christopher Cann
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Friday said “The option of transferring Iran’s enriched uranium abroad is unacceptable,” Iranian state television reported.
Baghaei’s statement comes after President Donald Trump repeated his claims that Tehran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium.
“We’re going to get it together,” Trump told Reuters on Friday, speaking about Iran’s enriched material. “We’re going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and start excavating with big machinery… We’ll bring it back to the United States.”
Iran’s nuclear enrichment program has emerged as a major sticking point in negotiations between the United States and Iran. The Trump administration publicly says it will not accept Iran maintaining any level of enrichment while Tehran has long claimed it has a right to enrich uranium for peaceful energy purposes.
Christopher Cann
Multiple ships are moving through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran declared the shipping route “completely open” to commercial vessels, said U.S. Central Command’s top official Adm. Brad Cooper.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Cooper said the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and coastal areas remains in effect and that 19 ships have complied with U.S. orders to turn around since the maritime restrictions became active on Monday.
“We’ll see what this looks like going forward, but I think we should all remain optimistic,” he said, speaking about the increasing commercial traffic since the announcement from Iran.
Reuters reported that a group of around 20 ships were seen moving in the Gulf towards the exit via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, citing ship traffic data.
Christopher Cann
If the U.S. continues its naval blockade of Iranian ports and ships, Tehran will consider the action a “violation of the cease terms” and will “take reciprocal measures,” the country’s state media reported Friday, citing a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei.
“Iran has control over the Strait of Hormuz. If Israel violates the ceasefire or if the U.S. continues the naval blockade, closing the Strait again would be easy for Iran,” Baqaei said, according to Iranian state television.
Baqaei added that military vessels are prohibited from passing along the Strait of Hormuz and all commercial ships must coordinate with Iran.
Christopher Cann
In a national address on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said his country will not cede any rights or territory in negotiations with Israel.
“Negotiations do not mean, and will never mean, the forfeiture of any right, nor the abandonment of any principle, nor an infringement on the sovereignty of this homeland,” Aoun said.
An Israeli bombing campaign and ground invasion has killed over 2,200 people and forced more than 1.2 million from their homes, Lebanese authorities say. Israel’s military action, including the establishment of a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon and the destruction of entire villages there, comes after Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel in support of Iran.
In his address, Aoun promised residents that they will be able to return home: “To the displaced, I say to you: You will return to your homes. For they are rebuilt by your presence. And we are with you, and by your side, and we will not let you down.”
However, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said more than 600,000 people will not be able to return home to southern Lebanon until the protection of northern Israel is fully established. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli officials say the country will maintain control of a significant portion of southern Lebanon and have provided no timetable for a possible removal of troops.
Christopher Cann
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday described Iran’s announcement that the Strait of Hormuz is open for all commercial vessels as “a step in the right direction.”
“@UN position remains clear: we need the full restoration of international navigational rights & freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, respected by everyone,” he said in a post on X.
“I also hope that, together with the ceasefire, this measure will contribute to creating confidence between the parties and strengthen the ongoing dialogue facilitated by Pakistan.”
Christopher Cann
British Prime Minister Kier Starmer on Friday said it’s “good news” that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened but said there must be a “long lasting” solution.
His statement comes after Britain and France announced that more than a dozen countries pledged support for an international mission to protect commercial trade in the shipping lane. “We need to see a return to peace and stability, and a permanent ceasefire,” Starmer said.
After President Donald Trump thanked Iran for vowing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, he blasted NATO allies for not helping more to ensure commercial vessels could pass along the trade route.
“Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help,” Trump said on social media. “I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!”
Christopher Cann
The United Nations’ maritime transport agency is verifying recent claims from Iran and President Donald Trump that the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” to commercial vessels.
“We are currently verifying the recent announcement related to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, in terms of its compliance with freedom of navigation for all merchant vessels and secure passage using the IMO established traffic separation scheme,” said Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization.
Christopher Cann
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said Israel has not yet eliminated the threat posed by the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
“We haven’t finished the job yet. There are things we’re planning to do against the remaining rocket threat and the drone threat, and I won’t elaborate,” he said in a video address.
Netanyahu said Israel significantly degraded Hezbollah’s military capabilities and has largely eliminated the threat to northern Israel by creating a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu said he agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon but is moving forward in his goal to disarm Hezbollah by working with the Lebanese government.
“We have given an opportunity to advance a combined diplomatic and military solution,” he said, adding: “One of our hands holds a weapon, our other hand is extended for peace. In one way or another, we will restore security to the residents of the north.”
Christopher Cann
President Trump on Friday said that Iran agreed never to close the Strait of Hormuz again.
“Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!” he wrote in a post on social media. In another post, Trump said it was a “GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD!”
Iranian officials did not immediately comment on Trump’s announcement. Tehran has maintained effective control over the vital shipping lane since the U.S. and Israel started the war on Feb. 28.
Zac Anderson
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 MinisterSeyed Abbas Araghchi said in a Friday 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.
Read more.
Christopher Cann
President Trump on Friday said that Iran, with the help of the United States, “has removed, or is removing, all sea mines!”
The statement was among several posted on social media by the president after Iran announced it would fully open the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels.
Christopher Cann
President Donald Trump on Friday said Israel is “PROHIBITED” from bombing Lebanon by the United States.
“Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer,” Trump said on social media. “They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!”
The statement comes a day after the leaders of Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire brokered by the U.S. For more than a month, Israel has carried out a large-scale ground invasion and bombing campaign in Lebanon that’s killed more than 2,200 people and displaced over 1.2 million residents, according to the country’s health ministry.
The military offensive came after Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that holds significant military and political power in Lebanon, launched rockets at northern Israel in support of Tehran. After the ceasefire went into effect, multiple Israeli bombardments were reported in Lebanon on Friday.
Christopher Cann
After Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz completely open, President Trump said the U.S. Navy blockade on Iranian ports will “remain in full force” until Tehran agrees on a deal to end the war.
“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% COMPLETE.” Trump said on social media.
“THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED,” he added.
It remains unclear how Iran will respond to the continued blockade. In recent days, Iran vowed to halt all trade in the Persian Gulf region if the U.S. did not lift the maritime restrictions.
Andrea Riquier
U.S. stock futures ripped higher, with the Nasdaq up 0.8% and the Dow set to add more than 500 points at the open, after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was “completely open” for all commercial traffic.
The Brent Crude front month contract hovered around $90, down more than 5% from just hours earlier, as Wall Street got set to open for trading.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury note slid more than 7 basis points to around 4.237%, a sign investors see less energy-driven inflation ahead.
Christopher Cann
Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said the Strait of Hormuz is declared open for all commercial ships following the cease between Lebanon and Israel.
“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 wrote on X.
The formal announcement comes after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire brokered by the U.S. Iran had maintained that it’s ongoing truce with Washington would hinge on whether Israel halted strikes on Lebanon.
Andrea Riquier
A barrel of Brent Crude oil, the global benchmark, was trading around $95 on Friday morning after briefly spiking close to $100 overnight.
Gas averaged $4.053 a gallon for regular unleaded nationwide, GasBuddy said. While oil has bounced around over the past week, gas prices are ticking steadily lower. Still, they are about 90 cents higher than last year.
What’s more, gas prices have been elevated for several weeks now, and American small businesses are starting to feel the strain, the Bank of America Institute said in a report released on Friday.
“Gasoline credit and debit card spending per small business client jumped 23% (compared to a year ago) in March, and those higher fuel costs are quickly spilling into freight, fertilizer and inventory bills,” researchers wrote.
“The pressure is most acute for agriculture and transportation,” they added, noting that pricing pressures from tariffs continued.
Michael Loria
President Donald Trump, speaking to a crowd in Las Vegas Thursday evening, described the Iran war as “going along swimmingly” and “perfect.”
“The war in Iran is going along swimmingly,” Trump said during an event celebrating his move to cut taxes on tips. “It should be ending pretty soon. It was perfect, perfect. The power we have.”
Trump’s comments came hours after a tentative ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon went into effect, potentially paving the way for additional peace talks between American and Iranian negotiators.
The president has said since the start of the week he expects talks to resume shortly. No talks have been announced.
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Dan F. was alarmed when his daughter, a Marine aboard the USS Tripoli, a warship deployed to fight the Iran war, sent him a photo of a meal served on the ship. A lunch tray, two-thirds empty, carried one small scoop of shredded meat and a single folded tortilla.
A picture of a mid-April dinner on the USS Abraham Lincoln, shared by a service member with his family, was similarly unappetizing – a small handful of boiled carrots, a dry meat patty and a gray slab of processed meat.
Dan and other military family members, worried that their loved ones deployed to the Middle East are going hungry, are filling boxes with items they hope could help service members ride out prolonged deployments in the Middle East – homemade fudge, Jolly Ranchers, crossword puzzle books, playing cards, toothpaste, Girl Scout cookies and fresh socks. But mail delivery to military ZIP codes across the Middle East has been indefinitely suspended as of April, and packages in transit now hang in limbo. Read more.
Michael Loria
The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and dozens of other world leaders will hold a virtual conference Friday to discuss “an international mission to re-open the Strait of Hormuz,” according to the prime minister’s office.
“Emmanuel Macron and I are clear in our commitment to establish a multinational initiative to protect freedom of navigation,” said Starmer in a statement about the upcoming conference. “We must reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance operations to ensure a return to global stability and security.”
The conference comes as traffic through the critical shipping lane remains well below prewar levels. The strait’s closure has driven up global fuel prices and experts warn it could drive food shortages around the world.
According to Starmer’s office, the leaders are planning to deploy a “military effort” to restore traffic “as soon as conditions allow.” The prime minister’s office said the “mission will be strictly defensive in nature.”
Some 40 countries are expected to participate in the summit. Starmer is traveling to Paris to host the conference alongside Macron.
The White House did not return requests for comment.