Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that the strategic Strait of Hormuz, vital for the global oil trade, will remain “completely open” as long as a ceasefire in the Middle East lasts.
“The passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire,” Araghchi said on X.
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It was not clear 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.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Iran’s announcement that the crucial Strait of Hormuz will be open to shipping for the duration of a ceasefire.
“THANK YOU!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying that Iran had announced the narrow waterway was “FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE.”
Tehran effectively closed the crucial waterway, through which a large portion of the world’s energy deliveries pass, on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched their war with Iran.
Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz as part of a two-week ceasefire with Washington that began on April 8, but disputes remained over whether the truce included Lebanon.
