The Strait of Hormuz will be "completely open" from Friday following a deal between the United States and Iran that brought an end to the West Asia war and eased disruptions to one of the world's most important shipping routes, US President Donald Trump said on Monday.
Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the start of bilateral talks ahead of the G7 summit in France, Trump said the strategic waterway was already beginning to reopen after weeks of restrictions that affected maritime traffic through the region.
He also downplayed the need for outside assistance to secure the passage, despite proposals from Britain and France for a joint naval mission aimed at ensuring safe navigation through the strait, reported AFP.
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz had already been "partially opened", although efforts were still under way to remove potential threats to shipping.
"There was hunting going on" to ensure the route was de-mined, he said, indicating that work was continuing to restore full confidence in maritime operations before the planned reopening later this week.
The Strait of Hormuz is widely regarded as one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, making any disruption to shipping a matter of international concern.
During his remarks, Trump described the agreement with Iran as a major achievement and stressed that its most significant outcome was preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
"The main thing is Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," he said, praising the deal reached with the Islamic Republic.
The US president also expressed optimism about future developments in the region, suggesting the agreement could pave the way for greater stability following months of conflict.
Referring to developments inside Iran after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the opening day of the US-Israeli war on February 28, Trump said Washington had established a positive relationship with the country's new leadership.
"The first set is gone, the second set is gone and we found the third set to be very smart... We ended up making a deal," Trump said.
He did not clarify which Iranian leaders he was referring to or provide further details about the negotiations that led to the agreement.
Looking ahead, Trump said he believed "a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now" as a result of the agreement.
He added that Vice President JD Vance would attend a signing ceremony for the deal on Friday, although he did not disclose the location of the event.
The comments came as world leaders gathered for the G7 summit, where security, regional stability and the future of the Middle East are expected to remain key topics of discussion.
