Trump Accidentally Makes Bombshell Admission About His War in All-Caps Tirade
The Strait of Hormuz had been a major sticking point in peace talks.
President Donald Trump acknowledged that Iran controlled the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran announced the reopening of this vital shipping lane.
In a message posted Friday morning on Truth Social, the president wrote in all caps: “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!”
He was referring to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had announced the news a few minutes earlier. However, he had added a crucial detail that Trump omitted: while the strategic waterway was declared “declared completely open,” he said that is only true for the “remaining period of ceasefire.”
Trump then added another clarification. About 20 minutes after his initial message, he posted an update in all caps regarding the naval blockade he has imposed on the strait. “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,” he said angrily.
“THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED.” added Trump, 79.
Oil prices fell following the announcement. Brent crude dropped below $90 a barrel after surpassing $98 earlier in the day, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also declined. Before the dispute, Brent was trading below $70 a barrel. The US dollar climbed above $100 in early March and peaked at over $119 later in the month.
In one of ten tweets posted Friday morning regarding the dispute, Trump stated: “Iran has agreed never to close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the world!”
The strait, which connects the Gulf and its products to the rest of the world, was initially closed by Iran to gain leverage in the peace negotiations. Its forces attacked ships attempting to transit it and laid sea mines, causing significant disruption to markets.
As part of the peace negotiations, Tehran demanded control of the Strait of Hormuz, which it did not possess before Trump launched “Operation Epic Wrath” on February 28. Although Iran controls the strait, its shipping lanes lie primarily within Omani territorial waters, with only a portion within Iranian territorial waters.
These waterways are governed by international maritime law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Earlier this week, Trump announced that the United States would impose a naval blockade on this waterway. Therefore, Trump’s statement that Iran has declared the strait open strengthens the Iranian regime’s claims to these waters and provides Tehran with a significant propaganda victory.
Indeed, Araqchi indicated in his statement that Iran was behind the decision. He stated: “In accordance with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz is declared fully open to all commercial vessels for the remaining duration of the ceasefire, according to the coordinated route previously announced by the Ports and Maritime Affairs Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The two-week Iranian-American ceasefire is set to expire in five days, on April 22. A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which took effect Thursday evening, is also in place.Israel is conducting airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The group is retaliating.
Earlier this week, Israeli and American officials insisted that the Iranian-American ceasefire did not include Lebanon.
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese envoys in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
Shortly before midnight on Wednesday, Trump announced that the Israeli and Lebanese leaders would meet for the first time in more than 30 years.
Then, on Thursday, he announced that the two countries had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. On Friday, he reiterated his remarks in a post on Truth Social: “Again! This deal is not tied, in any way, to Lebanon, but we will, MAKE LEBANON GREAT AGAIN!”
On Tuesday, Trump told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo that Iran “will be finished soon” if it is “smart.”
