Iran confirmed on Friday that it has fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels. This comes as President Donald Trump said the American blockade on Iranian ships and ports ‘will remain in full force; until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the strait, through which about 20% of the world’s oil is shipped, was now fully open to commercial vessels, as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon appeared to hold.
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Trump creates confusion
Trump initially celebrated the Iranian announcement, posting on social media that the strait was “fully open and ready for full passage.” But minutes later, he issued another post saying the U.S. Navy’s blockade would continue “UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE.”
However, multiple ships appeared to cross the strait on Friday.
Multiple ships cross US blockade line
Despite the ongoing blockade, tracking data analyzed by BBC Verify indicates that at least four vessels originating from Iranian ports have crossed the US-enforced blockade line in the Gulf of Oman. Three of those ships – Shabdis, Tava 4 and Azargoun – are under US sanctions and are currently broadcasting positions off the coast of India. Another vessel, Ashkan3 25278, appears to have reached Karachi, Pakistan.
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In addition, at least three other sanctioned tankers linked to Iran have crossed the blockade line, though they were not flagged as departing directly from Iranian ports, BBC reported.
Reuters, citing ship tracking data, eported that a group of around 20 ships including container ships, bulk carriers and tankers was seen moving in the Gulf towards the exit via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening.
US says some vessels turned back
Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported partial compliance with the blockade, noting that several vessels reversed course. CENTCOM said on Thursday that in the first 72 hours of the blockade, 14 vessels had ‘turned around to comply with the blockade at the direction of American forces’.
Stock market reacts to Hormuz news
Stocks rallied sharply on Friday after the Hormuz update came in. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led the gains, climbing 2.0%, while the S&P 500 rose 1.3%, extending a five-day winning streak and moving back above its previous record set in January. The Nasdaq 100 also surged 1.3%, marking its 13th consecutive day of gains—the longest such run since 2013, and setting a new record high.
(With AP inputs)
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