Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz to Oil Tankers Amid Ceasefire Talks

The Foreign Minister of Iran, Abbas Araghchi, has announced that the Strait of Hormuz, vital for the global oil trade, will remain “completely open” to commercial ships as long as a ceasefire in the Middle East holds.

According to a statement posted on his official X handle on Friday, the Minister disclosed that the announcement is in line with the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.

He wrote, “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran.”

According to the report, Araghchi did not clarify whether he was speaking of the 10-day truce agreed by Lebanon and Israel that went into effect at midnight or an earlier two-week truce between Iran and the United States that began on April 8.

The Iranian state media reported that Tehran made the extension of a ceasefire to Lebanon as a condition of opening the waterway.

Lebanon was drawn into the broader war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28 when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran, its key ally.

An Iranian senior military official told the state broadcaster that only civilian vessels would be allowed passage through designated routes and with permission of the navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“The passage of military vessels through the Strait of Hormuz remains prohibited,” the official said.

US President Donald Trump welcomed the Iranian announcement that the narrow waterway would be open, but said the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place until a peace deal with Tehran was reached.

“The naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete,” Trump said on his Truth Social network, adding that “this process should go very quickly”.

Oil prices that had spiked during the supply disruptions plunged after the Iranian announcement of opening the Strait.