Xi 'very happy' over Hormuz reopening ahead of China meeting, Trump says

Conservative commentator Mark Levin said on Friday US President Donald Trump is uniquely positioned to secure a deal with Iran, while expressing concern about whether future administrations would uphold it.

“Only Donald Trump could bring us to this point… The Iranians are on their back, and they’re going to cut a deal with Donald Trump—and he is going to make a very tough deal with them," Levin said on Fox.

"My concern is, when Donald Trump leaves, you hear these Democrats—there’s not one of them, not one of them other than Fetterman—who, if they become president, will uphold a deal. I’m very worried about that. They’re not going to send the military in. They’re isolationists. They’re anti-American, and their base won’t allow them to do it," Levin added.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he declined an offer of assistance from NATO in the Persian Gulf, according to ABC News.

In a call with the network, Trump said: “NATO called me and said, ‘Is there anything we can do?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, stay away.’”

The US Central Command said on Friday the guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy is patrolling the Arabian Sea as part of ongoing enforcement of the naval blockade targeting ships entering or exiting Iranian ports.

"Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) patrols the Arabian Sea, April 17, as US forces enforce the naval blockade on ships attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports. Since commencement of the blockade, 21 ships have complied with direction from US forces to turn around and return to Iran," CENTCOM posted on X.

US President Donald Trump shared on Friday a Fox segment on Truth Social that featured analysis praising his Iran policy as a “full-spectrum pressure” campaign.

Retired US Navy SEAL officer Mike Sarraille said the approach combines military, economic, and financial measures, describing it as “fifth-generation warfare Trump style.”

Sarraille argued that US policy targeted financial and institutional systems he said have supported Iran for decades, and commended the administration’s overall strategy as highly coordinated pressure against Tehran.

Ataollah Mohajerani, former Iran's Culture Minister warned on Friday that Iran risks losing strategic advantage in information warfare if it fails to act quickly during sensitive moments.

“If the Supreme National Security Council does not appoint a capable spokesperson, and does not speak in a timely manner during sensitive and necessary moments, and does not take the initiative in shaping the first narrative, we will suffer greater harm in psychological warfare and the war of narratives," Mohajerani posted on X.