The Strait of Hormuz has reopened, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday (17 April), although Washington warned its naval blockade on Iran would remain until a peace deal is reached.
“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 ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,” Araghchi said in a post on social media website X.
Shortly afterwards, Trump also confirmed the reopening of the sea passage, which is essential for global trade, while clarifying that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in force.
“The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage, but 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 wrote on social media website Truth Social in capital letters.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, has been effectively closed since the start of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran at the end of February.
The conflict rapidly spread across the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, resulting in thousands of deaths, raising fears of the worst oil shock in history, and prompting widespread flight cancellations and the closure of international airports across the region.
A two-week ceasefire mediated by Pakistan was agreed by the U.S. and Iran on 8 April, but the strait had, for all intents and purposes, remained closed despite the pause in fighting.
On Thursday (16 April), Trump announced that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire.
Despite talks in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, last weekend, Iran and the U.S. have yet to reach a peace agreement. However, Trump said on Thursday that new talks could take place as early as this weekend.
Iranian sources said on Friday that some “gaps remained to be resolved” before a preliminary deal with the U.S. could be reached.
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Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
Saudi Arabia is now facing pressure from both ends of the Arabian Peninsula. While the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz is disrupting Gulf shipping and energy flows, fighting has intensified in western Yemen, bringing the Houthis back into direct confrontation with the kingdom.
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any future U.S. attacks, saying American energy interests and infrastructure across the Gulf could become targets in a further escalation of the conflict.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
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