Iran said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open to commercial shipping during the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, but confusion quickly emerged over whether the sea lane was actually open without conditions.
“In accordance with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage of all commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire,” Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said. social networks.
However, ships must transit via a “coordinated route” announced by Iranian maritime authorities, Araghchi said. It is not yet clear whether Tehran will force ships to pay a toll to pass the strait.
President Donald Trump thanked Iran on Friday for opening the strait in a social media post. But Trump said the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect until a deal was reached with Tehran.
Iranian media affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards described a limited reopening of the strait. Commercial ships must coordinate with Iranian forces, a source close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said. Tasnim News.
Ships are not allowed to pass if they or their cargoes are linked to hostile nations, according to the Tasnim report. The strait will be closed if the US naval blockade continues, according to the report.
Israel and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to a 10-day ceasefire starting at 5 p.m. ET that evening. Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon against the militant group Hezbollah, a close ally of Iran, has been a sticking point in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Oil prices fell more than 10% on Friday to fall below 90 dollars per barrel. Before the war, about a fifth of the world’s crude supplies passed through the strait. The closure of the seaway, which connects the Persian Gulf to global energy markets, triggered the largest oil supply disruption in history.
Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 7 in exchange for Iran fully opening the strait. But Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States of violating the deal by allowing Israel to continue its campaign in Lebanon.
The strait remained almost entirely closed during the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, with both countries contesting the terms of the agreement. Only a few commercial ships use the waterway daily.
Negotiations between the vice president J.D. Vance and Ghalibaf last weekend in Pakistan failed to reach an agreement definitively ending the US war against Iran. Trump said U.S. and Iranian negotiators could meet again this weekend in Pakistan for a second round of talks.
