Bloomberg News Now
Trump Says Iran Will End Nuclear Program, American Rejects United, More
18 Apr 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
News when you want it with Bloomberg News Now, I'm Ed Kalecki. President Trump says Iran has agreed to suspend its nuclear program indefinitely, fueling optimism that a deal to end their war is in reach after Tehran announced the Strait of Hormuz was open again.
In a Friday phone interview with Bloomberg, Trump asserted that any moratorium on Iran's nuclear activities would not expire, saying it would be unlimited. He said talks over a lasting agreement will probably be held this weekend. The president also denied that the US would release any frozen funds to Iran.
Chapter 2: What did President Trump say about Iran's nuclear program?
a key demand of the regime that he and his supporters have long decried. Leaders in Tehran said that Hormuz is open for commercial shipping after Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran has told mediators it will continue to limit the number of ships allowed to cross the strait and charge tolls for the remaining period of the ceasefire.
The president spoke with reporters upon arriving Friday afternoon in Phoenix.
We're having a big day. We'll see how it all turns out, but it should be good. We've had some very good discussions, and hopefully that subject that you like to talk about would be very good. And we've done a good job, but we'll see. The talks are going on. It'll go on over the weekend, and a lot of good things are happening.
And that includes Lebanon, too. A handful of oil tankers were racing toward the Strait of Hormuz Friday after Iran declared it open, even as industry groups urged caution. And several ship owners and traders said they needed more clarity about the status of the waterway before making any decisions.
The oil market was left reeling by a stream of headlines after the Iranian foreign minister sent prices plunging with the announcement that the strait was completely open as long as the ships followed the previously announced routes through its waters. and the statement on opening was quickly repeated by President Trump.
However, Iranian media later reported that ships and cargoes linked to hostile countries would not be allowed through, that any transits must be arranged with its authorities, and that it would close the strait if the U.S. blockade of its own shipping continues.
American Airlines says it's not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with rival United Airlines, dampening the prospect of a tie-up that could reshape the industry. Bloomberg reported earlier this week that United CEO Scott Kirby had floated the possible combination directly to President Trump in February.
American signaled that such a merger would be a bad deal in a statement late Friday, which stressed a combination with United Airlines. would be negative for competition and for consumers.
The White House says a meeting Friday with Anthropic CEO Dario Amadei was productive and constructive, as the Trump administration seeks wider access to the company's powerful new Mythos artificial intelligence model.
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