Trump says Iran ceasefire is holding as US strikes continue and Hormuz talks advance
US President Donald Trump has said the ceasefire with Iran is still in effect, while describing it in looser terms and acknowledging that US forces have continued striking Iranian targets. Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, he said that in the Middle East a ceasefire can mean people are "shooting in a more moderate manner". He also said the United States had hit Iranian targets "pretty hard" over the previous two nights.
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Trump's comments came in response to questions about whether the truce remained in place despite renewed hostilities. He said there was "a reason for everything" and added that the US had "nipped it in the bud" quickly. The president also said he believed negotiations were still moving forward, and that an agreement to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached soon.
The remarks add fresh detail to a fast-moving confrontation that has combined military action, ceasefire diplomacy and concern over one of the world's most important shipping routes. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway through which a significant share of global oil trade passes, so any disruption can have wider economic consequences. Trump said there had been "a little glitch earlier", but claimed he had turned it around quickly.
He also linked the setback to Iran's reaction to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, saying he had intervened personally to stop the situation from worsening. According to his account, he spoke with Hezbollah and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling them there should be no shooting, and said both sides stopped. That account suggests the ceasefire effort is still tied to wider regional tensions, rather than being a standalone bilateral arrangement.
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The latest comments build on a broader pattern of friction between military pressure and diplomacy in the region. The supplied material says the current tensions are part of an ongoing Iran flare-up involving hostilities, US military action and efforts to keep talks alive. It also says Trump believes several issues still need to be settled before any final agreement can be reached, including what he described as unresolved points in the negotiations.
The situation remains fluid because the ceasefire is being described as holding only in a limited sense, while strikes and counter-pressures continue. It is also unclear how far the reported talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz have progressed, or whether they can be completed quickly enough to prevent another escalation. What to watch next is whether the ceasefire language is translated into a more durable pause, and whether the US and Iran can narrow the remaining gaps without further military action.
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