British Prime Minister Andy Burnham (pictured) was due to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a Royal Navy base on Monday, marking his first international visitor since replacing Keir Starmer a week ago. File photo by Henry Nicholls/EPA
July 27 (UPI) — New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was scheduled Monday to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a Royal Navy base training Ukrainian forces.
Ahead of the visit, the first of any foreign leader since he got the keys to No. 10 Downing Street on July 20, Burnham told the BBC that he fully supported Ukraine and Britain’s “unwavering — 100%” backing for its ally would continue.
Burnham said the fact Zelensky was his first international visitor “illustrates the strength of the relationship between the two nations,” vowing to emulate the personal commitment to Zelensky shown by his predecessor, Keir Starmer.
“My support for Ukraine is unwavering — it is 100%. And I will do what, in Ukraine, people think is the right thing that they need,” said Burnham.
“Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering. Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve a long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine,” he added.
He will use the visit to the naval base to announce a deal permitting Ukraine to mass-manufacture Stone Cloak electronic warfare technology, which is fitted to drones to make them invisible to air defense radar.
Downing Street said that after Ukraine begins using Stone Cloak, it will be incorporated into Britain’s next generation of long-range weapons, including from Project Brakestop, which is developing low-cost cruise missiles.
Burnham said Stone Cloak was “the best of homegrown British innovation and proven on the frontline, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries.”
Burnham and Zelensky will also meet with more than 200 Ukrainian service members taking part in Exercise Sea Breeze, a maritime training deployment involving Ukraine and 14 other countries aimed at boosting warfighting capabilities and tactics to deal with mines in the Black Sea.
In a post on X, Zelensky thanked Britain, saying that Ukraine valued that it could “always count on Britain’s principled decisions, leadership, and support.”
Total British support to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 is $33.3 billion, $21.3 billion of it military assistance, figures put out by Downing Street show, with bipartisan consensus across the previous administrations of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.
Starmer’s final act as prime minister was to visit with Zelensky in Kyiv on July 17, his last official day as leader of the Labour Party.
Tehran, Iran – The United States has reinforced its naval blockade on Iran’s southern ports, amid the escalating military confrontation between them.
The US blockade on Iran was first imposed in mid-April and remained for over nine weeks. It was only lifted after the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June to end four months of fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran immediately began exporting tens of millions of barrels of crude oil, much of it stored on supertankers anchored close to its oil terminals. However, after the recent resurgence in military strikes over control of the Strait of Hormuz, Washington rescinded oil and banking waivers issued as part of the MoU and prevented vessels linked to Iran from returning to port to load more Iranian oil.
Since the MoU effectively fell apart due to recent strikes, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has redirected several ships operating in the Strait of Hormuz. It also launched a strike to disable the Curacao-flagged supertanker Belma, which had allegedly been transporting Iranian crude during the war.
Iran has also been accused of striking ships in the waterway, leading to the US bombing Iranian coastal areas.
Iranian authorities have acknowledged the previous blockade drastically reduced Iranian crude exports. Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a TV interview at the end of June that “we did not export even one barrel” during the blockade.
Energy analyst Hamidreza Shokouhi told Al Jazeera that the new US siege means that at least 1.5 million barrels per day of Iranian oil exports will be taken off the market. That has contributed to pushing oil prices up to around $90 per barrel and sustained conflict could cause further increases.
“That means more pressure on global strategic reserves, which have already been tapped during the war and are facing unprecedented pressure,” he said.
Washington’s insistence on vessels using the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz close to the coast of Oman for the duration of the MoU has contributed to the current military escalation, the analyst said.
Shokouhi noted that Iran responded to the siege by trying to ensure that no other regional country could export their oil via the strait, piling pressure on the US and its allies.
“When the US acts this way, Iran also moves in the direction of not prioritising the economy and using the leverage at its disposal,” Shokouhi said.
Seven nights of tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran have quickly escalated and intensified as the week progressed.
The attacks left a trail of destruction in both Iran and countries across the region, with Kuwait and Bahrain heavily targeted by Iranian missiles and drones in recent days.
The US military has also heavily targeted provinces across Iran, particularly areas in the south closer to the strait.
Civilian infrastructure – including bridges and tunnels, ports and dock facilities, power stations and water plants – have been systematically hit, along with military sites. Some have speculated that could be in preparation for a ground invasion of Iranian coastal regions.
The Aq Tekeh railway bridge in the northern Iranian province of Golestan was among the first targets to be struck by US forces last week after the fighting re-erupted.
Iranian authorities said damage to the bridge was quickly repaired, but the strike signalled US willingness to attack potential import-export routes to exacerbate the impact of the naval blockade.
Aq Tekeh is on the Gorgan-Incheh Borun line, which connects Iran to the east, including Turkmenistan, Russia and China. It is where food and other essentials are imported from Central Asia and Iranian goods are exported, such as iron ore and polyethylene.
The previous US naval blockade had also significantly impacted goods and markets in Iran, making everyday life for over 90 million people more difficult.
Although there were no widespread shortages of staples, Iran’s inflation rate – already one of the world’s highest – surged. The price of some basic foodstuffs, such as eggs, chicken and cooking oil, has more than tripled compared to a year ago.
Price increases have also damaged other sectors of the Iranian economy and industries.
“Our sales are very inconsistent. The market is struggling to find prices, there’s too much instability and uncertainty about the future,” said Borzou, a merchant dealing in industrial motors and equipment at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar.
“It looks like most distributors here are still tapping into imported inventories from before, we don’t know what to expect in a few months since many of these goods came through China and the UAE and not all can be imported through inland routes,” he told Al Jazeera.
There has also been intense pressure on the Iranian rial from the renewed military escalation and reimposition of the naval blockade.
The rial changed hands for over 1.93 million against the US dollar in Tehran’s open market on Saturday, the first day of the Iranian week, registering a new all-time low.
The Tehran Stock Exchange continued its downward trend over the past week, with its main index losing another 120,000 points or 2.4 percent on Saturday to stand at 4.77 million.
Iran’s armed forces have warned they will retaliate against any US strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure by attacking similar targets in regional countries hosting US military bases.
“Let’s not forget that the US and Israel started attacks against infrastructure, when they hit South Pars gas fields, Tehran’s oil depots and the petrochemicals in Mahshahr,” said energy analyst Shokouhi.
Utilising help from the Houthi group in Yemen, Tehran could also cause significant disruptions to shipping in the strategically important Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen’s coast – if US President Donald Trump realises his threat to hit more civilian infrastructure in Iran such as power plants and bridges.
“Trump’s actions over recent months, and particularly over recent days, have only made the situation more intractable and the outlook more uncertain. The current situation cannot continue for much longer, but it is broadening the scope of the conflict and that is concerning,” Shokouhi said.
bbsferrari
Saronic Technologies, the startup whose naval drones this week were used in combat by the U.S. military for the first time, is building a $3.2 billion shipyard in South Texas.
The facility, called Port Alpha, will manufacture autonomous boats at the Port
June 18 (UPI) — The U.S. military on Thursday lifted naval blockades in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, with reports showing that shipping vessels have departed the region through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said in a series of posts on X that, following direction from President Donald Trump, blockades on maritime traffic along the coasts of Iran have ended.
Centcom noted, however, that the U.S. Navy will stay in the “general area” to be sure that “all aspects” of the peace agreement signed by the United States and Iran “are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect.”
Trump signed the agreement Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles in France after the G7 Summit wrapped up, which included among its 14 points reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital shipping route for the region and much of the world.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had signed the deal earlier in the day.
“American forces are not impeding the transit of vessels to or from Iranian ports,” Centcom said in one of the posts on X on Thursday.
“All U.S. military blockade efforts have ceased,” it said.
At least 12 energy tankers transited the Strait on Thursday, reopening a sailing route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply is shipped around the globe, CNBC and the New York Post reported.
Among the vessels that transited the Strait were three Saudi Arabian supertankers, which together are carrying six million barrels of crude oil and are the kingdom’s first tankers to sail the shipping route since before the three-month-long U.S.-Iran war launched in February.
Vice President JD Vance also told reporters that more than 12 million barrels of oil had shipped through the Strait overnight Wednesday after the deal had been signed.
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Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Though the U.S. and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement to end the war, the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in place, a source familiar with operations told TWZ on Monday morning. The statement offers additional clarity to comments President Donald Trump and Iranian officials have made about the deal and its impact on shipping.
Meanwhile, shipping companies, the U.N. and a maritime security company tell us they are taking a wait-and-see attitude before changing current operations or offering advice to do so. As Trump noted over the weekend, the Strait needs to be fully de-mined while Iranian officials say they will still impose fees for transit.
“The blockade is ongoing and is expected to remain in place until the signing [of the memorandum of understanding] on Friday,” the source, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details, told us.
The official declined to tell us whether that means the U.S. will fire on vessels trying to run the blockade or turn ships back, as they have in the past.
As of June 12, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it disabled nine vessels trying to run the blockade and redirected 139 others. You can read more about how those ships were disabled here.
U.S. forces continue to strictly enforce the blockade against Iran. CENTCOM has redirected 139 compliant commercial ships and disabled 9 non-compliant vessels since April 13. pic.twitter.com/Sl8x1fF2wM
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 12, 2026
Iran’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, combined with the U.S. ending the blockade that went into effect on April 13, is a major component of the U.S.-Iran agreement. Iran closed the Strait to most shipping after it was attacked by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28. As we have frequently reported, that had a cascading effect on the global economy, sending oil prices higher.
President Trump says a historic peace agreement is set to be signed Friday in Switzerland after more than 100 days of war. The deal is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, allowing oil to flow again and, according to Trump, helping bring peace and security to the region.… pic.twitter.com/EUh0rSSyeV
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 15, 2026
During a press conference and in a message on Truth Social, Trump on Monday said the Strait of Hormuz was already “partially opened.”
“Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz,” the president said on his social media site. “They are going along the Southern ‘Highway,’ which is totally safe, secure, and pristine. There are other areas of travel, also!!!”
“Ships are starting to go out now,” Trump added later at a press conference in France. “By Friday it will completely opened.”
As we previously reported, ships had been transiting the Strait via a southern route close to the United Arab Emirates and Oman under the overwatch of the U.S. military. Last week, Trump revealed that the U.S. had enacted a secret plan to get hundreds of ships out of the Strait; however, that still pales in comparison to the number of ships transiting before the war broke out.
NOW: Trump on Iran:
The strait is already partially open… by Friday, it will be completely open.
We get along really well with Iran. pic.twitter.com/LKrGvK529C
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 15, 2026
As for the blockade, Iranian officials on Monday said it was their understanding it would be lifted right away.
“Under the agreements reached, the war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, will come to an immediate and permanent end beginning tonight,” the Secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council stated early Monday morning EDT, according to Iran’s official IRNA media outlet. “Furthermore, the naval blockade against Iran will be lifted immediately and completely.”
Also on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said the country will continue to charge vessels transiting the Strait for services rendered.
“According to the MoU, Iran and Oman will be responsible for managing passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” he stated. “Iran is not seeking to impose tolls. However, in return for navigation services, environmental protection, insurances and other maritime services, Iran will collect the necessary fees.”
JUST IN: Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ismael Baqaei on the Strait of Hormuz:
“According to the MoU, Iran and Oman will be responsible for managing passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran is not seeking to impose tolls. However, in return for navigation services,… pic.twitter.com/HrpmE9kKtc
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) June 15, 2026
A day earlier, Trump addressed the blockade in two statements on his Truth Social site.
“This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region. Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me,” the president said in the second of the two posts, issued at 6:27 P.M. EDT. “The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace. With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!”
A little less than an hour earlier, Trump said he was authorizing “the immediate removal” of the blockade.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines.”
We reached out to the White House for further clarification.
Though both Trump and Iranian officials have weighed in on this deal, much about it remains unknown, something Vice President JD Vance explained Monday morning.
Vance told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program that though the U.S. and Iran struck a preliminary deal, there are “a lot” of details that remain to be ironed out, but he expressed confidence that America has “all the cards” in subsequent talks.
Vance told the network that Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to be involved in those upcoming discussions — as well as its parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He is a hard-liner, Squawk Box noted, whose participation could signal that the regime’s conservative faction is on board with the deal.
“The agreement reached Sunday would extend the U.S.-Iran ceasefire for 60 days and set up a framework for future negotiations about Tehran’s nuclear program and other key issues,” CNBC further explained. “The preliminary deal has yet to be signed and its text has not been released.”
The sides have given themselves “60 days to reach a technical agreement on how to down-blend Iran’s highly enriched uranium and both freeze and monitor its nuclear program going forward,” Axios reported. “That’s a tall order given how difficult it was to reach the much less detailed memorandum of understanding.”
The U.S. “insists Iran is incentivized to reach a final agreement because sanctions relief and access to frozen funds depend on progress on the nuclear front,” Axios added. “Some hawks in the U.S. and Israel worry there will never be a final deal and the war will end with the nuclear questions unresolved.”
Trump told the New York Times on Sunday afternoon that the agreement he had reached with Iran would ultimately assure that the Strait of Hormuz was “permanently toll-free,” a seeming sticking point with Iranian expectations as we discussed earlier in this story.
Trump also insisted that if Iran failed to reach a final nuclear accord with the United States, he would restart military attacks on Tehran or make the United States “the guardian of the Middle East” in return for 20 percent of the region’s revenues.
Given that the U.S. began building up forces in the region in January, many of the ships, aircraft and troops will have to retrograde out of the CENTCOM area of responsibility in the coming weeks. So exactly what the American footprint will be in the CENTCOM area of responsibility in two months is questionable.
There is also massive global and domestic political pressure to end the war, which, as we noted earlier, has created economic upheaval around the world. Moreover, the conflict has not been popular at home, and American voters go to the polls in November for the midterm Congressional elections with Trump’s Republican party struggling to maintain control. Starting the war again, especially knowing how it went this time around and failed to deliver a deal on top of it, would see these pressures magnify.
President Donald Trump tells the New York Times if Iran failed to reach a final nuclear accord with the United States, he would restart military attacks on Tehran. pic.twitter.com/kuCpXU3WUv
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) June 15, 2026
Regardless of the diplomatic breakthrough, shipping companies tell us that they are not changing course when it comes to transiting the region.
“The announced agreement is a welcome and positive development, but publicly available details are still limited, and it is too early to assess how it will impact logistics and maritime operations in the Middle East,” a spokesperson for Maersk told us. “At this stage, there are no changes to our operations in the region.”
A spokesperson for Hapag-Lloyd expressed similar sentiments.
“The latest developments give reason to hope that the security situation in the Strait of Hormuz will improve,” the spokesperson told us. “We are currently reviewing the information available and are in close contact with relevant authorities and our security partners. At this stage, our risk assessment remains unchanged and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for Hapag-Lloyd transits until further notice. The safety of our crews and vessels, and the security of our customers’ cargo, remain our highest priority.”
The U.N.’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) told us that it too was waiting for further details to emerge before offering any concrete new advice to commercial vessels sailing in the region.
“Details of the agreement are due to be released, which will provide more clarity on how restoring full trade can return through the Strait of Hormuz,” IMO told us.
The organization “is working with relevant countries, particularly Oman, Iran and the rest of the coastal States, on the safe route to be used for the evacuation of seafarers on trapped vessels and for trade to resume,” IMO added. “We are assessing the feasibility for vessels to transit and conduct the trade safely and securely, avoiding possible hazards like mines as well as congestion which could lead to accidents.”
I welcome with great satisfaction the peace agreement reached. A first step to restoring safety in this vital corridor,particularly for our seafarers. And for IMO to advance the evacuation plan, which requires safety & security guarantees from all parties. https://t.co/uBCjkD84wy pic.twitter.com/PoQH4Q1vlq
— Arsenio Dominguez (@IMOSecGen) June 15, 2026
An official with the Ambrey maritime security company said there is still a long way to go before commercial vessels can navigate these waters securely.
“The proposed deal still requires meaningful implementation across multiple governments, which will take time,” Joshua Hutchinson, a former Royal Marine commando now serving as the company’s Managing Director of Risk and Intelligence, told us. “Furthermore, over 1,000 vessels remain in the Persian Gulf, and the threat of mines looms; clearing such a large number of vessels will take several months of coordination.”
In addition, “reports say that the agreement will allow the Iranian Maritime Authority to retain control of the Strait of Hormuz through a clearance system, and, for the time being, this will be one of the major concerns that ship operators and owners need to understand,” Hutchinson added.
Another factor in all this remains Israel. Officials in Jerusalem have stated that they will not withdraw from southern Lebanon and will continue to strike Hezbollah targets they deem necessary. The Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah site in Beirut on Sunday reportedly almost derailed the announcement of the MOU, with an Iranian missile attack on Israel scrubbed at the last moment.
BREAKING: Israel won’t withdraw from land seized in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, its defense minister says, hours after an interim Iran-U.S. deal was announced. Israel Katz’s remarks are the first official Israeli comments since the announcement. https://t.co/KdVpD2iaxq
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 15, 2026
Though the preliminary agreement marks the biggest diplomatic breakthrough since hostilities began, there is still a long way to go until Friday in a region known for its volatility. As we have previously reported, several rounds of tit-for-tat attacks between the U.S. and Iran threatened to derail the shaky ceasefire in the past.
Even if Friday’s milestone signing should be reached, questions still remain about whether peace will ultimately be achieved. Given everything at stake, the world awaits warily to see what happens next.
Contact the author: howard@twz.com
The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Here’s TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information. Check out last week’s report here.
The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in full effect, for now, pending the execution of the ceasefire agreement, scheduled to be formally signed on Friday in Geneva, according to a notice released today by NAVCENT. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces launched multiple waves of strikes last week against Iran following the shootdown of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter, and disabled an additional two commercial vessels that tried to skirt the blockade, bringing the total to nine. Two carriers, USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush, embarked with a combined seven squadrons of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, two squadrons of EA-18G Growlers, and one squadron of F-35C Lightning IIs, continue to support “self defense” strikes and blockade operations.
The Lincoln CSG has been deployed for nearly seven months and would likely be among the first naval assets to rotate out of the theater if the blockade winds down. The details, and scale, of the drawdown of forces in the CENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR), as agreed upon in the memorandum of understanding (MOU), are murky as of publication. More than 20 U.S. Navy surface combatants have been operating in the region.
U.S. Navy fighter jets and command and control aircraft prepare to take off from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as the ship transits the Arabian Sea. pic.twitter.com/SAGl2e7y0e
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 13, 2026
USS Nimitz entered the final leg of her homeport shift to Norfolk, operating off the east coast in U.S. 2nd Fleet AOR after a monthslong circumnavigation of South America, according to flight tracking data and public AIS. Nimitz conducted operations northwest of Cuba and the Bahamas last week. On Thursday, six Super Hornets, attached to the “Kestrels” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137, carried out an air power demonstration and show of force, dropping MK-82/BLU-111 bombs on a simulated target in the Gulf of America.
On the west coast, USS Theodore Roosevelt continues working up in preparation for a future deployment. The flattop got underway on June 10 for INSURV inspections to verify readiness and returned to San Diego the following day. The group was also spotted conducting a live fire exercise with the Mk 38 25mm machine gun. USS Carl Vinson got underway for sea trials after a nine-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) and moored at port in San Diego on June 13.
In the Western Pacific, USS George Washington is on a summer patrol and operating in the Philippine Sea. The CSG conducted a replenishment-at-sea with USNS Earl Warren and helo operations while underway in the vicinity of Guam last week. Destroyer USS Shoup, part of the CSG, pulled into Apra Harbor early this morning, according to AIS.
Eyes in the sky.
An MH-60S Sea Hawk assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 operates above Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) while underway in the Philippine Sea.
The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is operating in the @US7thFleet… pic.twitter.com/l4UWAVHUAW
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) June 15, 2026
Two ARG-MEUs are currently deployed. Forward-deployed USS Tripoli continues operations in the CENTCOM AOR, and USS Boxer is underway in the Indo-Pacific (INDOPACOM) AOR, operating in the South China Sea. For a detailed review of America’s amphibious assault fleet, check out our recent report here.
Note: Positions are general approximations. Non-deployed LHA/LHD amphibious warships are not shown.
Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@teamrecurrent.io
Iranian exports of oil and condensate sank to the lowest level in at least six years in May, falling below 300K bbl/day, as the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz choked shipments and left tens of millions of barrels stranded at
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Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
President Donald Trump on Friday announced he was lifting the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports enacted last month. The move comes amid media reports and administration messaging that Washington and Tehran appear to be drawing closer to a deal that could lead to ending the conflict. Iranian officials have rejected that notion. TWZ cannot confirm either side’s assertions.
“Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of ‘heading home!’” Trump proclaimed on Truth Social, referring to the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic chokepoint has been largely closed to most traffic by Iran since not long after the launch of Epic Fury on Feb. 28.
Trump’s comments may reflect a still unsigned Memorandum of Agreement with Iran that paves the way for reopening the Strait and is designed to create negotiating space to deal with the larger issues of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb,” the U.S. leader added. “The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions. All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated (we have removed, through detonation, numerous such mines with our great underwater mine sweepers. Iran will complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any mines that are left, which will not be many!).”
Last month, the head of U.S. Central Command stated that he was deploying uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) to the region for the counter-mine effort. UUVs are a critical part of modern minesweeping operations.
“The Strait of Hormuz is an international sea passage and an essential trade corridor that supports regional and global economic prosperity,” Admiral Brad Cooper said in an April 11 media release. “Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days.”
The Navy has various types of uncrewed undersea vehicles, remotely operated vehicles and an airborne mine neutralization system to perform mine sweeping operations. You can read more about these systems and how they work in our story about minesweepers here.
Knifefish Surface Mine Countermeasure (SMCM) Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV)
Trump ordered the blockade on April 13 to create economic pressure on Iran by limiting its ability to export oil or import needed weapons or other materiel.
“As of May 29, 115 commercial vessels have been redirected to ensure no commerce enters or leaves Iranian ports,” CENTCOM said in a post Friday morning about an hour before Trump made his announcement about the blockade.
U.S. forces continue to enforce the blockade against Iran. As of May 29, 115 commercial vessels have been redirected to ensure no commerce enters or leaves Iranian ports. pic.twitter.com/ioKe4A6p7T
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 29, 2026
Trump did not spell out the mechanics for ending the blockade and CENTCOM declined to say what Trump’s announcement means for the assets arrayed around the region to enforce it. The command referred us to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is also unclear why Trump would lift the blockade at such a critical time, before any agreement is signed. According to various media reports, such a move would have been in conjunction with Iran easing its restrictions on Strait shipping. However, Iranian officials have insisted that has yet to happen. In essence, the U.S. lifting the blockade on Iran would do nothing for mariners trapped in the Persian Gulf unless Iran also lifts its threats to attack ships transiting the waterway without its permission.
According to Axios, the memorandum between Iran and the U.S. calls for the following:
The U.S. will commit to discuss sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds as part of the negotiations, the publication added.
In addition to stating that he lifted the blockade, Trump also claimed in his Truth Social post that the U.S. and Iran reached an understanding on Tehran’s supply of highly enriched uranium.
“The enriched material, sometimes referred to as ‘Nuclear Dust,’ which is buried deep underground with virtually collapsed mountains, caused by our powerful B2 Bomber attack 11 months ago, sitting on top of it, will be unearthed by the United States (which, it is agreed, is the only Country, along with China, with the mechanical capability of doing so!), in close coordination and conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency, and DESTROYED. No money will be exchanged, until further notice,” Trump asserted. “Other items, of far less importance, have been agreed to.”
Iranian officials have rejected Trump’s claims.
“No final understanding has been reached between Iran and the US so far,” according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-connectedTasnim News Agency.
“Trump’s post follows his usual pattern of one-sided, self-aggrandizing statements,” the outlet added. “His claims about lifting the naval blockade should be viewed with skepticism—and even if implemented, it would merely mark the cessation of one ceasefire violation, as the blockade should never have been imposed in the first place.”
“Trump’s nuclear claims are baseless, as no details on that issue have been discussed,” Tasnim posited. “His insistence on not releasing Iran’s blocked funds only deepens Tehran’s doubts about Washington’s seriousness.”
No final understanding has been reached between Iran and the US so far, according to Tasnim News Agency.
According to the report, Trump’s post follows his usual pattern of one-sided, self-aggrandizing statements. pic.twitter.com/bRDZfjGT7K
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) May 29, 2026
In his post, Trump said that he “will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final determination,” on the agreement with Iran.
This is a developing story.
UPDATE: 2:36 PM EDT –
Trump “left a two-hour meeting on a possible deal with Iran without making a decision,” The New York Times reported, citing a senior administration official.
The administration “believes it is close to an agreement but there are still certain matters being debated including the unfreezing of funds for the Iranians,” the newspaper added.
NYT: “President Trump’s meeting in the Situation Room lasted about two hours, but the president did not reach a decision on any new deal with #Iran, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak about internal deliberations.
“The…
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) May 29, 2026
In the wake of Trump’s claims and media reports about negotiations with Iran, some positive economic news is emerging
“Stocks rose in afternoon trading on Wall Street Friday, adding to the all-time highs they set a day earlier,” CBS News reported. “The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Friday. The index is coming off six gains in a row and is headed for a ninth straight winning week, which would be the longest such streak since 2023.”
The Dow Jones Industrial Average “rose 382 points, or 0.8%, as of 12:01 p.m. Eastern,” the outlet added. “The Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Every major index is on track for records and to close out May with solid gains.”
Of course, all that could change should talks break down and major hostilities resume.
“U.S. stock markets are surging toward new records as of May 29, 2026, driven by breakthrough reports of a potential $300 billion peace and reconstruction framework between the U.S. and Iran”
— Don Keyhoty🇺🇸🇺🇦🇩🇰🇮🇪 (@dkearnsjr) May 29, 2026
UPDATE: 3:24 PM EDT –
The United Arab Emirates “carried out dozens of airstrikes against Iran beginning in the early days of the war and continuing through the day after the April cease-fire was announced,” The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. This represents a “deeper involvement than was previously known in the air campaign led by the U.S. and Israel,” the publication added.
The attacks were conducted in coordination with the U.S. and Israel, both of which provided intelligence, the people said. “They included targets on Qeshm and Abu Musa islands in the Strait of Hormuz; Bandar Abbas; the oil refinery on Lavan island in the Persian Gulf; and the Asaluyeh petrochemical complex” the Journal continued.
During the Iran War, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) carried out dozens of airstrikes against Iran in coordination with Israel and the United States, beginning in the early days of the war and continuing through the day after the ongoing ceasefire was announced, targeting both… pic.twitter.com/FvyIYVw2qk
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 29, 2026
UPDATE: 3:47 PM EDT –
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says “Tehran secures its diplomatic advantages through missiles rather than talks,” according to the official Iranian Press TV news outlet.
Contact the author: howard@twz.com