US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz is “fully open and ready for full passage” after Iran announced it would allow commercial vessels to transit during a temporary ceasefire.On a post on Truth Social on Friday, Donald Trump wrote, “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!”In a later post, however, Trump clarified that the United States’ blockade on shipping from Iranian ports remains in place.“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. this process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated,” said Trump.
The United States has also imposed a blockade on shipping from Iranian ports, with the military saying that maritime trade to and from the country has been completely halted. The Trump administration implemented the blockade amid the US-Iran ceasefire, even as peace talks have failed. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel linking the Persian Gulf to global waters, has become a major point of tension since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began six weeks ago.Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier on Friday said the decision to allow passage is linked to the ceasefire in Lebanon and will apply for the remaining duration of the truce under a coordinated route.“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 social media post.Iran had earlier said only ships with explicit clearance from Iranian authorities and not linked to the US or Israel could pass through a route near Larak Island to avoid the risk of sea mines in the waterway.The Lebanon-Israel ceasefire is expected to last 10 days, while a separate two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on Tuesday. Araghchi appeared to link the shipping decision to the halt in fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.
