Trump criticizes Iran not allowing more oil through Strait of Hormuz: ‘Not the agreement we have’

WHAT TO KNOW
President Donald Trump reached a ceasefire deal with Iran on Tuesday, saying the U.S. would pause the “bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.” He added that the deal is subject to Iran agreeing to the “complete, immediate and safe opening” of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway in the Middle East that is vital to the global flow of oil.

Trump said Thursday that “Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz.” He also said “There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced this week that Vice President JD Vance is heading to Pakistan this weekend for negotiations about Iran. He will be joined by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The United States launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on Feb. 28 as part of the Trump administration’s goal to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The Israel Defense Forces are continuing military operations against the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon, despite the ceasefire. As part of Operation Roaring Lion, the IDF has been targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, including missile launching sites.

An infographic titled “First ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz after the USâ”Iran ceasefire” created in Ankara, Turkiye on April 8, 2026. (Photo by Elif Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump said he doesn’t need a backup plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, pointing to Iranian military losses.

“You don’t need a backup plan,” Trump said. “Their military is defeated. Their military is gone. We’ve degraded just about everything. They have very few missiles. They have little manufacturing capability. We’ve hit them hard.”

He noted that the main goal of a deal with Tehran is the prevention of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“I think it’s already been regime change, but we never had that as a criterion,” he said. “No nuclear weapons. That’s 99% of it.”

Trump said he was confident the strait will open up to commercial shipping traffic.

“If we just left, the straits are going to [open]; otherwise, they make no money. So the strait is going to open,” he said.