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Iran’s foreign minister has announced that the Strait of Hormuz is open again for commercial vessels, but emphasized that ships must use only designated safe routes. Following an attack by the United States and Israel on February 28, Tehran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Currently, a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on April 22.
US President Donald Trump has stated that American naval blockades against Iranian ports will continue until a peace agreement is reached between the two countries, while calling the situation a “great and wonderful day for the world.” Various maritime organizations are monitoring whether vessels can safely transit the waterway, with tracking data indicating minimal ship movement at present.
On Friday, the first day of a 10-day full ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi declared the Strait of Hormuz reopened. “According to the Lebanon ceasefire agreement, the Strait of Hormuz is fully open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the period. Ship movements will be coordinated through the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization,” Araqchi posted on social media platform X.
However, Iran’s state television later quoted a senior military official stating that ships are only allowed to navigate designated “routes,” with military vessel movement still “restricted.” This likely refers to the two routes established by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a map of which they had previously released to the media. Some Iranian news outlets criticized Araqchi’s post as well.
Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, described the opening as “unacceptable and incomplete,” noting that as long as the US naval blockade persists, tanker movements would be deemed “illegal.” Other media outlets have requested clarifications from Iranian officials on the matter. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament and head of the Iranian delegation in talks held in Islamabad, dismissed Trump’s claims as “seven false claims in one hour” in a post on X.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, he stated, “The waterway will not be open as long as [the US] blockade continues.” He rejected Trump’s assertions outright. Hezbollah, a Shiite political and military group based in southern Lebanon, is an Iranian ally. In retaliation for a Hezbollah attack, Israel launched strikes on Lebanon on March 2. All of these incidents occurred in response to the US and Israel’s assault on Iran. Meanwhile, President Trump has indicated that ongoing war termination talks show few disagreements and are expected to continue until Saturday.
