Published on 6/26/2026
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Last update: 07:34 (Mecca time)
US President Donald Trump stressed that Iran will not possess a nuclear weapon, and said that it “agreed to that 100%,” adding, “We will take some of Iran’s money and spend it to buy large quantities of American wheat, soybeans, and corn for Tehran.”
Trump’s statements came at a time when Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that “imposing fees on passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be a condition in any agreement with Iran,” while Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani – who is head of the Gulf Ministerial Council – welcomed Muscat’s announcement of the establishment of a temporary corridor for ships in the Strait of Hormuz overlooking both the Sultanate of Oman and Iran.
Nuclear weapon
President Trump said – in his statements from the White House – that “if Iran possessed a nuclear weapon, it would use it within the first hour,” adding, “We will never allow that to happen,” noting that “Iran will not possess a nuclear weapon, and it has agreed to that 100%.”
Trump added: “We had to act against Iran because its possession of a nuclear weapon would mean the demise of Israel and the Middle East and would put the world in great danger.” He said, “We dealt a very harsh blow to Iran, and we are negotiating with them now from a position of absolute strength.”
The American President explained that “the Strait of Hormuz is open and yesterday witnessed the exit of 19 million barrels of oil, which is the highest number in its history,” adding that “oil prices are declining sharply and significantly, and the decline in oil is followed by a decline in the prices of all other products.”
Trump said that reports claiming “Iran is better today are fake news, and these people (who are spreading it) are crazy,” adding, “Iran would very much like to make a deal with us. I think we would probably make a deal with them.”
He continued, “We completely destroyed Iran’s army, leadership, aircraft, and navy 100% within just a week and a half,” and added: “We completely sank 159 Iranian ships, and all of them became at the bottom of the sea.”
The American President explained: “We will take some of Iran’s money and spend it to purchase large quantities of American wheat, soybeans, and corn for the benefit of Tehran,” noting that “the process of purchasing agricultural crops for the benefit of Iran will begin very soon, and I expect it to be very large.”
He said: “We have a new market coming, which is the beautiful country Iran, which is facing difficulty regarding food.”
Manama Statement
Meanwhile, the final statement issued by the Manama meeting – in which the US Secretary of State and his Gulf counterparts participated – called for maintaining the momentum of negotiations with Iran to reach a final agreement that prevents it from possessing a nuclear weapon, and stressed their rejection of any restrictions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
They stressed the need to maintain the momentum and unity of the negotiations, to achieve a permanent end to hostilities, and to achieve the common goal of preventing Iran from developing or possessing a nuclear weapon in any way.
They also emphasized the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and emphasized that unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation – including the right of transit passage guaranteed under international law – remains essential to regional and global security.
The participants in the meeting refused to impose any fees, taxes, or any attempts to control the Strait, and welcomed the announcement by the Sultanate of Oman and the International Maritime Organization to begin implementing a plan to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the region.
The ministers welcomed the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran on June 18, praising the mediation efforts led by Pakistan and Qatar.
Perpetual peace
In a speech he delivered during the meeting, Rubio said that Washington seeks a lasting peace with Iran, provided that this does not come at the expense of the security and prosperity of its allies in the region.
On the other hand, Al-Zayani welcomed Muscat’s announcement of the establishment of a temporary corridor for ships in the Strait of Hormuz overlooking both the Sultanate of Oman and Iran.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said that his country bears a special responsibility in supporting international efforts to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, indicating that future arrangements do not involve imposing transit fees.
The Minister affirmed the Sultanate of Oman’s support for the memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran, stressing the importance of its success to achieve the desired peace, restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and ensure its safe flow.
Oman and Iran supervise both sides of the strait, which connects the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and through which 20% of global oil exports pass.
Last Wednesday, the Sultanate of Oman announced – in a statement – the provision of a temporary corridor for the passage of ships through the strait in coordination with the International Maritime Organization.
It added that it took this step based on its responsibility towards the Strait of Hormuz and its importance to the global economy, and in accordance with its commitment to international law and the law of the sea, ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait without imposing transit fees.
It considered that the decision is in line with the results of the efforts and endeavors reached by the United States and Iran, with Pakistani mediation, to end the war between the two countries.
A ship is hit by a projectile
In the same context, the United Nations International Maritime Organization suspended the plan to evacuate ships through the Strait of Hormuz, after the British army announced that a ship was hit – yesterday, Thursday – by a projectile off the coast of Oman.
The Director-General of the International Maritime Organization said that the plan to evacuate ships stranded through the strait will remain suspended until the organization is able to ensure the availability of safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and those in the region.
The report on the attack came hours after Iran threatened ships to stop using a route through the strait approved by the United Nations without obtaining permission from Tehran.
The Revolutionary Guard said – in a statement yesterday, Thursday – that some parties announced a new route for ships to cross from Hormuz without coordination with Iran, and this is unacceptable and extremely dangerous.
He stressed that the routes announced by Iran are the only ones allowed to be used to cross the strait, warning that the necessary measures will be taken against violating ships.
The Iranian Strait of Hormuz Authority also warned against navigating the Strait via paths outside the path specified by the authority, or paths not covered by the guarantee of safe crossing.
The Iranian authority added that the consequences of sailing through unauthorized routes in the strait fall on the ship owner and its investors.
