Strait of Hormuz Must Remain Open to All Nations, Says Trump Amid Iran Nuclear Talks

Washington, May 2026 : US President Donald Trump on Wednesday firmly ruled out any arrangement that would allow Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that the strategic global shipping route must remain open to all nations even as nuclear negotiations with Tehran continue.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said there would be no scenario in which any single country could dominate the crucial oil transit corridor. “The Strait is going to be open to everybody. Nobody’s going to control it. It’s international waters,” he said.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime passage linking the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea, is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, through which a significant portion of global crude oil exports flow daily. Trump stressed that maintaining free navigation through the waterway is a key priority for the United States and its allies.

According to the President, Iran had sought greater influence over the route during ongoing diplomatic discussions, but Washington would not allow such a demand. “They would like to control it. Nobody’s going to control it,” he reiterated.

Trump also used the briefing to reaffirm his administration’s long-standing position that Iran must never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I’m doing that for the world,” he said, describing the issue as a global security concern rather than a bilateral dispute.

He further claimed that Iran’s strategic position had weakened significantly due to US pressure measures, including sanctions and military operations he referred to as “Operation Epic Fury”. According to him, these actions had damaged Iran’s military infrastructure and forced its leadership back to negotiations under economic strain.

“They’re negotiating on fumes,” Trump said, adding that Iran’s economy was facing severe contraction with what he described as “250% inflation”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported Trump’s remarks, saying diplomacy remained Washington’s preferred approach, though he warned that all options—including military action—remained available if talks failed.

“The bottom line is Iran’s never going to have a nuclear weapon. Diplomacy is always the first option,” Rubio said. He also noted that early progress had been made in negotiations, though critical decisions in the coming days would determine whether a broader agreement was achievable. Rubio additionally confirmed that the US had reached arrangements with 20 countries to accept deportees as part of an expanded immigration enforcement effort.

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described the administration’s Iran policy as one based on “maximum lethality” combined with sustained diplomatic engagement. He claimed Iran’s naval and air capabilities, along with its defence production systems, had been severely degraded.

“They may have missiles, but they can’t build more right now,” Hegseth said.

Trump also addressed global energy markets, stating that the United States was now producing more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia combined. He argued that any spike in oil prices caused by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz would be temporary, citing rising US production and increased output from other regions, including Venezuela.

“We have tremendous amounts of energy. Those prices are going to come down fast,” he said.

The President further noted that oil tankers were currently waiting near the Strait of Hormuz and suggested that their movement would be allowed “at the right time” depending on security conditions.

He also hinted that any final agreement with Iran could be linked to broader Middle East diplomacy, including possible expansion of the Abraham Accords. Trump said the United States was encouraging countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar to join the framework initiated during his first term, describing it as part of a wider effort to stabilise the region through economic and diplomatic integration.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)