Saturday 18/April/2026 – 09:55 AM
US President Donald Trump said that he has good news about Iran, coinciding with a convoy of oil tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz, in the first major movement of ships through the vital waterway since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran 7 weeks ago.
Ceasefire and opening of the Strait of Hormuz
A group of four liquefied petroleum gas tankers, along with several tankers of petroleum products and chemicals, were crossing Iranian waters south of Lark Island, with more tankers arriving from the Gulf, according to MarineTraffic data.
Trump had indicated hours ago that there was some very good news about Iran, but he refused to go into details. He also said that fighting may resume if a peace agreement is not reached by Wednesday.
Iran reopened the strait, which before the war carried about a fifth of global oil trade, following a separate US-brokered ceasefire agreement on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon.
Despite progress in reopening the Strait, expectations remain unclear regarding the resumption of high-level talks between the United States and Iran or reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which represents the main point of contention.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One during his return to Washington from Phoenix, Arizona, that things seem to be going very well in the Middle East with Iran, adding that they are negotiating over the weekend, and he expects things to go well, noting that many of these issues have already been negotiated and agreed upon.
He stressed that the main thing is that Iran will not possess a nuclear weapon, adding that Iran cannot be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon, and that this matter exceeds everything else.
Trump indicated that he may end the ceasefire with Iran if a long-term agreement to end the war is not reached before the truce expires on Wednesday, adding that the US blockade of Iranian ports will continue.
Pressure has increased to find a way out of the war, at a time when Republicans, Trump’s allies, are seeking to defend their narrow majority in Congress during the midterm elections in November, amid rising gasoline prices in the United States, increasing inflation, and a decline in Trump’s approval ratings.
Trump had told Reuters that more direct talks between Iran and the United States were likely to be held over the weekend, but some diplomats saw this as unlikely given the difficulty of logistical arrangements for holding the meeting in Islamabad, where it is expected to host the talks.
There were no indications on Saturday morning that there were preparations to hold talks in the Pakistani capital, as the highest direct negotiations between the United States and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended without an agreement at the end of last week.
Disagreements still exist over the Iranian nuclear program, which represents the main point of contention in the peace talks, as Tehran defends its right to what it describes as a civilian nuclear program for energy production.
