Trump's 24-Hour Intense Publicity Blitz: Iran Issue, Lockdown Policies, and NATO Controversy Simultaneously Ferment

April 18 — U.S. President Donald Trump delivered multiple key signals on the Middle East and broader issues over the past 24 hours: ### **Middle East Signals** - **Strait of Hormuz**: Navigation has resumed, but the maritime blockade of Iran will continue until an agreement is “100% complete.” - **Iran nuclear program**: Trump stated Iran has agreed to indefinitely suspend its nuclear activities; the U.S. will retrieve Iran’s enriched uranium and transport it back to the U.S., with no unfrozen funds to be provided. - **Negotiations/ceasefire**: Talks will continue through the weekend; war could restart if no deal is reached by next Wednesday. - **U.S.-Iran gaps**: Trump said Iran “needs to say different things internally” amid discrepancies between the two sides. - **Strait toll**: No toll will be imposed on the Strait of Hormuz. - **Regional security**: The U.S. has banned Israel from further bombing Lebanon; plans to address Hezbollah separately. ### **Political Signals** - **NATO criticism**: Called NATO “completely useless at a critical moment” and slammed some allies for failing to cooperate. - **Media attacks**: Again accused *The New York Times* and CNN of inaccurate reporting. - **Ally thanks**: Thanked Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Pakistan for operational support. - **UFO documents**: The first batch of UFO-related documents will be released soon; Trump will sign an executive order Saturday and hold a press conference. Overall, Trump is actively shaping market and diplomatic expectations through frequent statements, blending toughness and uncertainty under the “ceasefire-negotiation-blockade” framework.