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.
"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.
