Trump says US will help with traffic buildup in Strait of Hormuz


FILE PHOTO: Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

April 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President ⁠Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States ⁠will help with the buildup of shipping traffic ‌in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump on Tuesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran ​to reopen the strait or face ⁠attacks on its civilian ⁠infrastructure.

Trump said the last-minute deal was subject to Iran's agreement ⁠to ‌pause its blockade of oil and gas supplies through the strait, which typically handles about one-fifth ⁠of global oil shipments.

"We'll be loading up with ​supplies of ‌all kinds, and just 'hangin' around' in order to make ⁠sure that ​everything goes well," Trump said.

"There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the ⁠reconstruction process," he also said.

Trump told ​Agence France-Presse the United States had won a "total and complete victory" after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire deal with Iran.

A ⁠temporary halt in fighting and the reopening of Hormuz would allow Middle Eastern exporters to ship significant volumes of oil that have been trapped inside the Gulf since ​hostilities began.

Around 130 million barrels of ⁠crude oil and 46 million barrels of refined fuels are ​currently floating on roughly 200 tankers ‌in the region, according to data ​from analytics firm Kpler.

(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Christopher Cushing)

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