See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz “will now be lifted.”
Trump said the blockade of Iranian ports will be lifted and “start the process of ‘heading home'” in a Truth Social post on Friday.
This comes as things remain tense in the Middle East on Thursday, even as Iran and the United States have a tentative agreement in place, something U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to sign off on.
American officials stated Trump’s approval is key to any agreement, despite him stating earlier this week that he wasn’t satisfied with the current state of talks.
It’s unknown whether Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has signed off on the agreement.
The war in Iran is in its 91st day.
Here’s the latest on the Iran war on Friday:
President Trump says the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz “will now be lifted,” in a post on Truth Social on Friday.
“Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of ‘heading home!’ Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favourite President!” Trump posted.
Talks between Israel and Lebanon are set to take place in Washington D.C. at the Pentagon on Friday, according to Lebanese media Aljadeed TV.
The media outlet reported that the meeting is expected to pave the way for broader political negotiations scheduled for next Tuesday.
Lebanon is expected to push for a fortification of the ongoing ceasefire, which is strained by the ongoing fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.
Israel is expected to call for a joint security and military strategy that’s aimed at strengthening border control, CBS News reported.
The Israeli army has issued another call for residents in Lebanon to pack up and leave as attacks ramp up.
An army spokesperson said the “urgent warning” is for those living in “Ansariya, al-Kharayeb, Shabriha, Sarafand, Adloun, and Baisariya.” The residents were urged to “move north of the Zahrani River.”
The military is “compelled to act forcefully against Hezbollah” because it violated the “ceasefire”, a statement said, per Al Jazeera.
“Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, and their combat means is endangering their life,” said a post on X.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Trump signing off on a tentative memorandum of understanding with Iran is “TBD,” noting the two nations are still negotiating over “a couple of language points.”
I think it’s hard to say exactly when or if the president is going to sign the MOU. We’re going back and forth on a couple of language points,” Vance told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews on Thursday, as reported by CNN.
Vance said key points on Iran’s nuclear program and enriched uranium still need to be worked out.
“There are a couple of issues on the nuclear stuff, the highly enriched stockpile, and also the question of enrichment. So we’re going back and forth with them. We do think they’re negotiating, at least so far, in good faith,” Vance said. “Hopefully, we’ll continue to make progress, the president will be in a position where he can endorse the agreement, but obviously that’s still TBD.”
Trump still hasn’t signed off on the tentative agreement between Iran and the U.S, as the situation in the Middle East remains tense.
U.S. officials cautioned that Trump’s approval will be key to the agreement, with the president stating earlier he wasn’t satisfied with the current state of talks, CNN reported.
The finalization of text between the two countries is a sign that diplomacy was proceeding, despite the fighting this week.
It’s unknown whether Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has signed off on the peace agreement.
President Trump stoked anticipation Friday about a possible deal with Iran to extend the ceasefire while also reiterating his red lines — including one around the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices plunged after state media reported US-Iran deal could include opening the Strait of Hormuz and removing the US naval blockade.
"We're not satisfied with it, but we will be," the president insisted at Wednesday's Cabinet meeting. Could the war actually end soon?
President Trump said Saturday evening an agreement with Iran that will set the framework for renewed peace talks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz would be announced shortly.
From Diet Coke to bags of chips, the ongoing closure in the Strait of Hormuz is affecting some of consumers' favorite items across the globe.
More records are in play amid optimism for a US-Iran peace deal and for AI-fueled earnings growth.
A tenuous ceasefire between the US and Iran was in doubt Monday as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz quickly escalated and a series of new attacks were seen.
Bitcoin briefly topped $80,000 overnight.
The global oil market is running out of options to keep prices from rising, experts say, with physical deadlines quickly approaching.
Murakami is tied for the American League lead with 20 home runs.
Leave a Reply