Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and United States President Donald Trump have said that the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial vessels.
Araghchi announced on Friday that the strategic waterway was “fully open” in line with the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that took effect the previous day.
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Trump confirmed on social media that the strait was open, later claiming that Iran had agreed to “never close the Strait of Hormuz again.” However, he also posted that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports “will remain in full force”.
In parallel, France and the United Kingdom hosted a meeting in Paris involving about 40 countries, which agreed to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after the US-Israeli war on Iran came to a close.
Blocking tankers from using the strait, through which about 20 percent of the world’s crude flows on a typical day, has sent fuel prices soaring globally.
World leaders have welcomed the news with cautious optimism amid mixed messages from the US and Iran:
United States of America
“The Strait of Hormuz is fully open and ready for trade and full passage, but the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it relates to Iran, only until our transaction with Iran is 100% completed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
A few minutes later, he issued another post saying that the US Navy blockade of Iranian ships and ports “will continue in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including over its nuclear program.
Later, Trump told news agency AFP that a deal to end the war on Iran was “close”, adding that there were “no sticking points” left between Washington and Tehran.
iran
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on Twitter that the strait was “declared fully open” and would remain open for the remainder of the 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, which was in effect from Thursday to Friday.
Some Iranian state media reports later appeared to contradict Araghchi’s announcement, with a senior military official telling state media that only non-military vessels would be allowed to transit with the permission of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.
Fars news agency, which is close to the IRGC, noted a strange silence from the “Supreme National Security Council”, the de facto top decision-making body in the country, as the status of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains unknown.
united kingdom
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a summit in Paris on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron on a possible military mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, with about 30 to 40 countries attending in person or via video conference.
On the sidelines, Starmer cautiously welcomed the news of the strait’s reopening but said it must become a “permanent and practical proposal”.
He said Britain and France would lead a “strictly peaceful and defensive” multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation as soon as conditions permit.
France
Speaking after the gathering, Macron said, “We all demand from all parties the full, immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.”
He said, “We are all opposed to any system of sanctions or agreements that would actually be an attempt to privatize the strait and certainly any toll system.”
Macron’s office said the roles of members of the international coalition working to reopen the strait could include “intelligence, mine-clearing capabilities, military escort (and) communication processes with coastal states.”
Germany
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany could contribute mine clearance and intelligence capabilities to international missions, but would need parliamentary support and a “secure legal basis” such as a UN Security Council resolution.
He said he wants U.S. participation in the international mission to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. “We believe this would be desirable,” he said.
Trump later appeared to reject his proposal and said on social media that he had received a call from NATO, but he refused to accept its assistance without any uncertain conditions.
finland
“We welcome Iran’s announcement on opening the strait. Diplomacy is needed for a permanent solution,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who attended the Paris summit, said at the X
united nations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed Iran’s opening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was “a step in the right direction”.
International Maritime Organization
“We are currently reaffirming the recent announcement regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in the context of compliance with freedom of navigation and safe passage for all merchant vessels,” said Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the UN Shipping Agency.
shipping companies
The Norwegian Shipowners Association said several things would have to be clarified before any ships could transit through the strait, including the presence of mines, Iranian conditions and practical implementation.
“If this represents a step towards an opening up, it is a welcome development,” said Knut Arild Hareide, CEO of the association, which represents 130 companies with about 1,500 vessels.
A spokesman for Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd shipping company said, “We are now beginning to assess the new situation and the risks involved… So, for the time being, we are still avoiding passage through the strait.”
In a statement, Denmark’s Maersk said: “We have taken note of the announcement. The safety of our crew, ships and customers’ cargo remains our priority. Since the outbreak of the conflict, we have followed the guidance of our security partners in the region, and the recommendation so far is to avoid transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“Any decision to cross the strait will be based on risk assessment and close monitoring of the security situation, with the latest developments also included in the ongoing assessment.”
market
Oil prices fell after Iran announced that the route into Lebanon would remain “fully open” to commercial vessels during a 10-day ceasefire period.
“This news is having an immediate impact on the market,” said Kathleen Brooks, director of research at XTB. “This is the largest development so far during the armistice, and gives hope that the war will soon end, and the supply chain will return to some degree of normality.”
