Donald Trump Says Strait Of Hormuz Will Be 'Completely Open' On Friday

US President Donald Trump announced a breakthrough peace deal with Iran on Monday, declaring the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz will be 'completely open' by Friday, June 19, following months of a crippling blockade. The agreement, which has already been electronically signed by key figures including Trump and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, aims to end the protracted 2026 Iran War that has severely disrupted global energy markets and international shipping. The announcement comes after a four-month conflict, sparked by US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran in February 2026, which saw Tehran retaliate by largely closing the Strait of Hormuz—the chokepoint for roughly a fifth of global oil supplies and a significant portion of liquefied natural gas exports. This closure sent Brent crude prices soaring past $126 per barrel and stranded thousands of commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf, forcing costly reroutes around the Cape of Good Hope. While Trump touts a 'toll-free' opening and the lifting of the US naval blockade, Iranian officials have indicated they still expect to impose fees for transit services, setting up immediate potential friction as a formal signing ceremony approaches in Switzerland. The immediate focus will be on the formal signing ceremony in Geneva this Friday and the subsequent 60 days of 'technical negotiations' to iron out the finer points, including Iran's nuclear program. Questions remain about the practicalities of mine clearance, the actual enforcement of 'toll-free' passage, and whether international shipping will quickly regain confidence in the waterway's security, given Iran's recent expansion of its operational claims and the proposed but unconfirmed allied naval mission. The full implications for global energy prices and the stability of Middle Eastern geopolitics hinge on these complex details, with any lingering ambiguities risking a rapid unraveling of this fragile peace.