US President Donald Trump has said he expects the Strait of Hormuz to fully reopen by tomorrow as talks with Iran begin. Trump described the discussions as straightforward and said the negotiations would move quickly. He also outlined the reopening of the strategic waterway as the first phase of the talks.
“It’s not very complex. We’re talking about the opening of the Strait [of Hormuz] and having it open, literally, by tomorrow, completely open. And that’s phase one,” he tells reporters in the Oval Office.
The comments come as the Strait of Hormuz remains central to concerns surrounding regional security and global energy supplies. The waterway serves as a major route for international oil shipments.
Trump Outlines Two-Phase Approach
Trump said the initial focus would remain on restoring full access through the Strait of Hormuz. He expects that process to happen by tomorrow if discussions progress as planned.
However, the US president said the negotiations would then move toward a more complicated issue.
“Phase two is we’ll then talk about the nuclear capacity … basically the denuclearisation of Iran,” he adds, noting that it “has to happen”.
Trump acknowledged that reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear capabilities would require more time. Unlike the proposed reopening of the waterway, he said denuclearisation discussions would not conclude quickly.
The US president said negotiating denuclearisation would “take a little while”.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Key to Global Energy
The Strait of Hormuz holds major importance for global energy markets. Large volumes of crude oil and other energy products pass through the waterway. Therefore, any prolonged disruption could create concerns about supplies and push energy prices higher. A full reopening could ease some of those immediate concerns.
Meanwhile, Trump’s comments suggest that Washington wants to secure the waterway’s reopening before moving into longer-term nuclear negotiations.
The proposed sequence also highlights the different challenges facing the talks. Reopening the Strait could provide an immediate objective, while denuclearisation would require more detailed and potentially lengthy negotiations.
For now, attention remains on whether the waterway will reopen within Trump’s expected timeline. The outcome could have wider implications for regional stability, energy markets, and the next stage of US-Iran discussions.
