It could allow the passage of a prewar number of vessels, state media says, but on Iranian terms and under its control. Recall that tanker traffic decreased after Iran had promised a gradual reopening with the April 7 cease-fire. This is reason enough not to give Iran sanctions relief up front. U.S. officials say relief will be tied to performance, and they will need to hold to that to get a decent
Trump's negotiators, including vice president JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff, initially received approvals for a 'cash for uranium' deal, which would involve the US releasing $20 billion in frozen funds in exchange for Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the release of 250 political prisoners on Thursday in exchange for easing sanctions from Washington, according to the US embassy in nearby Lithuania. It is reportedly the largest one-time release of its kind so far, as Belarus is ramping up efforts to normalize ties with the United States.
So, we have sanctions on some countries. We're going to take those sanctions off until this straightens out, Trump said at a news conference at his golf club in Miami, Florida. Then, who knows, maybe we won't have to put them on there'll be so much peace, he said.