The Strait of Hormuz naval blockade lasted about as long as the ceasefire that preceded it. On Wednesday, Trump declared it permanently open, credited China, and mentioned an upcoming hug from Xi Jinping. Progress, apparently.
The announcement came via Truth Social, as most major foreign policy developments do now.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote. “I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to – far better than anyone else!!!”
What “permanently open” actually means in practice remains unclear. Traffic through the strait remains effectively at a standstill, and the U.S. is still blockading Iranian ports. The White House has not clarified whether Trump was announcing an immediate reopening or signaling a longer-term diplomatic intention. The distinction matters enormously to the roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply that normally flows through the waterway.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
The Chinese position going into all of this was considerably less warm. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had called the U.S. blockade “dangerous and irresponsible,” urging relevant parties to “honor the ceasefire agreement, stick to the direction of peace talks and take concrete actions to de-escalate the situation.”
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun had gone further, stating: “We have trade and energy agreements with Iran; we expect others not to interfere in our affairs. The Strait of Hormuz is open to us.” By Wednesday, according to Trump, China was very happy and a hug was confirmed. That is quite a turnaround in 72 hours.
Trump suggested that Xi was rankled by the blockade, but seemed confident it would not affect the Beijing summit scheduled for mid-May. “I don’t think it does. I mean, he’s somebody that needs oil. We don’t,” Trump said. The summit, originally planned for late March, was already postponed once because of the war. It is now being positioned as the venue for a much larger diplomatic resolution.
Trump teased what was coming in a phone call with ABC News. “You’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead,” he said, suggesting a deal was imminent. “They really do have a different regime now. No matter what, we took out the radicals. They’re gone, no longer with us.” He added: “If I weren’t President, the world would be torn to pieces.” The modesty was entirely consistent with everything that came before it.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
