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U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States will have the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping route, "open fairly soon," while stressing that his "number one" goal in upcoming negotiations with Iran is to ensure that Tehran has "no nuclear weapon."

Trump made the remarks during a press availability at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as Washington and Tehran are set to hold the first round of talks aimed at ending their war in Islamabad on Saturday, following their two-week ceasefire agreement earlier this week, News.Az reports, citing Korea Joongang Daily.
 
"I would say this. We will have that open fairly soon," he said.
 
Trump reiterated his opposition to Iran's move to charge fees to oil tankers traversing the strait, which Tehran has largely blocked with its retaliatory strikes. The vital waterway is responsible for about a fifth of the world's oil supply.
 
"No. We are not going to let that (happen). It's international water," he said, noting that the strait will open up "automatically."

 When Trump announced the ceasefire deal Tuesday, he pointed out that it is "subject to" Iran's "complete, immediate and safe" opening of the strait. But Iran's restrictions on traffic through it have continued amid Israel's strikes on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
 
Asked what a good deal with Iran might look like, Trump underscored his priority to make sure that Iran does not possess any nuclear arms.
 
"No nuclear weapon. Number one," he said. "You know, I think it's already been regime change, but we never had that as a criteria. No nuclear weapon. That's 99 percent of us."
 
In a message to Vice President JD Vance, who will be part of Saturday's talks with Iran, Trump said, "I wish him luck."
 
"He's got a big thing. I will find out what's going on," he said.
 
Vance, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, will represent the U.S. side in the forthcoming talks with Iran.
 
The Iranian delegation is expected to include Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova