Trump Maintains Iran Naval Blockade

President Donald Trump announced on April 17, 2026, that the United States will maintain its naval blockade of Iran until a formal agreement is reached with Tehran, despite Iran’s declaration that it has fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

Trump stated that the blockade will end “as soon as the agreement is signed,” emphasizing that the U.S. Will not lift restrictions until a deal is finalized. He said he expects negotiations to conclude quickly, adding that the U.S. Will work with Iran to recover what remains of its enriched uranium if a peace deal is reached.

The President denied reports of a $20 billion cash-for-uranium deal, calling such claims “totally false.” He reiterated that no money would be exchanged as part of any nuclear agreement with Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei countered that Iran’s enriched uranium “is not going to be transferred anywhere under any circumstances,” directly contradicting Trump’s assertion that Tehran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium supply.

Trump also confirmed that the U.S. Would conduct military operations inside Iran to remove what he described as “nuclear dust,” though he provided no further details on the scope or timing of such actions.