Trump Insists on Hormuz Opening as He Escalates Iran Threats

WATCH: Trump insisted that freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz be part of any deal to end the war in the Middle East. Joumanna Bercetche reports.Source: Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Catherine Lucey, Hadriana Lowenkron, and Jeff Mason

April 6, 2026 at 6:32 PM UTC

Updated on

April 7, 2026 at 4:26 AM UTC

President Donald Trump insisted that freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz be part of any deal to end the Middle East war and escalated threats to obliterate key Iranian infrastructure if his terms aren’t met before a Tuesday deadline.

Trump said Monday that talks with Iran are “going well” and that reopening the strait is “a very big priority.” The president in recent weeks has said an agreement on the strait wasn’t among his core prerequisites for ending the conflict.