A U.S. sailor stands watch in the combat information center aboard the
guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), June 2, 2026. The U.S. naval
blockade of the Strait of Hormuz appears set to remain in place until at least Friday, when an agreement between the U.S. and Iran is set to be finalized. (U.S. Navy)
U.S. troops who were deployed to the Middle East don’t appear to be leaving anytime soon despite President Donald Trump’s declaration this week of a tentative end to the war with Iran.
The deal, set to be formalized in Geneva on Friday, reportedly includes Iranian commitments to allow the free passage of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and a U.S. pledge to lift a naval blockade imposed in April.
Those measures won’t happen immediately, though. After the signing, the U.S. and Iran reportedly plan to enter a 60-day period to negotiate limits on Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of American sanctions.
U.S. officials have made it clear that military forces will remain in the region during that time, even if they have not specified how many troops or assets would stay.
“Our military posture will be whatever it needs to be to ensure they’re compelled over these 60 days through the memorandum of understanding, that they live up to what they said they will do,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview with CBS.
The war, known as Operation Epic Fury, prompted one of the largest U.S. military buildups in the Middle East in years. At one point, three U.S. aircraft carriers were operating in the region simultaneously — the first such deployment in more than two decades — as the U.S. military presence reportedly grew to more than 50,000 troops.
During the conflict, U.S. forces conducted airstrikes against Iranian military and nuclear targets, helped guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian attacks and enforced the naval blockade against Iranian ports.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces disabled nine noncompliant vessels and redirected 135 ships during that time.
In a statement on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said he authorized the “immediate removal” of the U.S. blockade, a move he said would coincide with the “toll free opening” of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to an advisory from the Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational maritime security coordination body, the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports will remain in place until the end of the week. The center on Monday warned mariners not to attempt to cross until explicit direction is given.
U.S. Central Command did not immediately confirm the maritime advisory.
If the U.S.-Iran agreement holds, it could pave the way for a more intensive mine-clearing effort in the Strait of Hormuz — a mission that some reports indicate could take several months.
On the sidelines of the G7 meetings in France on Monday, Trump said U.S. forces were doing “a little hunting for a couple of mines they’ve already found.”
CENTCOM has previously said it would employ tools including underwater drones to hunt for Iranian mines.
Before the war, U.S. intelligence officials estimated that Iran possessed around 5,000 naval mines, though it’s unclear to what extent Iran has actually been able to place mines in the strait.
European countries have already begun moving naval assets into the region for potential mine-clearing and vessel escort missions aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the strait, which before the war carried nearly a fifth of global oil supplies.
French President Emmanuel Macron told broadcaster TF1 on Monday that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle could be deployed “in two to three days,” along with mine-clearing capabilities.
European officials have stressed that their involvement in any Hormuz mission would take place only after hostilities have ended.
Still, questions remain about whether the fighting is truly over. Not only have U.S. officials said American forces will stay in the region during negotiations, Trump has suggested he would be willing to resume military operations if the talks fail.
“The agreement contemplates the reduction in military forces in the region upon the agreement of a final deal,” said a U.S. official quoted by ABC News during a background briefing on the memorandum. “We want to see again that the Iranians do what they promise.”
