Trump: Iran 'cannot have a nuclear weapon' as war continues

PHOENIX - April 17 saw some major developments in the Middle East, as the war with Iran continues.

What we know:

According to the Associated Press, officials with the Iranian regime said on Friday that they have fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels. However, President Donald Trump said the American blockade on Iranian ships and ports "will remain in full force" until the U.S. and Iran reach a deal, including on the Iranian regime's nuclear program.

Oil prices plunged more than 10% as stocks surged on the developments. While the Strait has been reopened to commercial traffic, ship trackers aren't showing much movement so far.

Local perspective:

During his speech at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix on Friday, Trump declared that Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon.

"Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple," President Trump said.

While Trump spent much of his speech highlighting what he described as his second-term accomplishments, Iran remained front and center, with Trump saying the country will no longer be the "bully of the Middle East."

The other side:

In a statement released after President Trump’s speech, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said Trump "has turned his back on Arizonans."

"His deadly and costly taxpayer-funded war with Iran drags on, prices are soaring, and jobs are disappearing. It’s no wonder Americans in Arizona and everywhere else feel like they can’t get ahead," read a portion of Martin's statement.

Security expert, Iranian activist weigh in

"It's really hard to understand bringing things back to the state that they were at before the war is fundamentally an accomplishment, but you know, if that's what's needed to bring about peace, then it's worth embracing," said Daniel Rothenberg, a professor at Arizona State University and the co-director of the Future Security Initiative.

"We're all so emotional with the ups and downs and, I would say President Trump is an amazing chess player, and this it shows that 40 days will be accomplished has been amazing," said Hessam Rahimian.

Rahimian is an Iranian-American activist whose work focuses on ensuring Iranians have the same freedoms as American. He said complete victory in Iran can only be achieved with regime change.

"The Iranians inside and outside Iran support what has taken place, for sure, 100%. But we hope that we can finish the job by a regime change which will remove the ideology of the Islamic fundamentalists out of Iran," said Rahimian.

((Photo by Stringer/picture alliance via Getty Images))

What's next:

Trump told reporters after leaving Phoenix that negotiations will continue through the weekend. He also said he may end the ceasefire with Iran, and even threatened to start dropping bombs again unless a deal is reached by Wednesday, April 22.