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Mark Magnier

In an apparent sign that Tehran blinked first in the blockade showdown between Iran and the US, the two sides announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operational after nearly seven weeks that have seen hundreds of ships blocked and sent energy prices soaring worldwide.
“IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!” US President Donald Trump said on social media, using an unofficial name for the strategic waterway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed this on social media without the all-capital lettering.
“In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through [the] Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” Araghchi said.
The war, launched by the US and Israel in late February, has had its share of chest-thumping, threats and defiance, and it remains to be seen whether the ceasefire holds.
But as outlined, the opening of the strait would continue until April 27 when the US-brokered 10-day truce ends between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah reached between Israel and Lebanon.


Ships told: proceed with caution in Strait of Hormuz reopening
Araghchi added that commercial ships would have to follow a route through the strategic waterway outlined by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation.
In a follow-up all-caps post, Trump added that the US naval blockade would, however, remain in full force for all Iranian vessels and supplies until a deal is 100 per cent finalised with Iran.
“THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED,” he added.
Later on Friday at a rally in Arizona, Trump touted his achievements in a rambling speech that covered tax cuts, illegal migration, “crooked” Democrats as well as UFOs, Mars and his hair and weight.
“I ended eight wars. And it may be a little early to say this, but if we had Iran and Lebanon, that would be 10 wars,” he told a cheering crowd. “Iran was the bully of the Middle East. They’re not the bully anymore.”
Oil prices fell around 10 per cent, and US markets closed as much as two per cent higher on the news, with the S&P 500 ⁠and Nasdaq hitting record highs and the Dow Jones Industrial Average marking its highest finish since late February.
Trump had said on Thursday that talks could happen as soon as this weekend, likely in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, where other recent negotiations took place.
In another post, Trump appeared to rein in Israel, which critics say has held undue sway over the US president’s decision to enter and carry out the war.
“The USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah situation in an appropriate manner,” he wrote, misspelling the militant group’s name.
“Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!! Thank you!”




Iran claims a win as waterway passage resumes under ceasefire terms
Iran, meanwhile, noted that free passage did not apply to military vessels even as it sought to frame the agreement as a win.
“The enemies and ill-wishers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly the US and the Israeli regime, have no choice but to ‘bow and surrender’ before the greatness and power of the Armed Forces and the resilient, brave people of Iran,” state media reported, quoting Iranian military commander Major General Ali Abdollahi.
A unified Iran is prepared “to make the enemies regret their evil actions”, he added. “This path will continue until full victory is achieved.”
Global leaders welcomed Friday’s news.
“I hope this will pave the way for negotiations towards a long-term solution to the conflict & contribute to ongoing efforts toward a lasting & comprehensive peace in the region,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres wrote on X.
The US president suggested that the US was offering Iran no financial concessions and would require it to hand over any stored nuclear material.
But Axios reported on Friday, citing sources, that a proposal for Washington to release US$20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Tehran giving up its enriched uranium stockpile was included in US-Iranian discussions to end the war.
This came as Trump has, in recent days, referred to Iran’s highly enriched uranium as “dust” in keeping with his claim last summer that US strikes left Iran’s nuclear programme “completely and totally obliterated”.

“The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear ‘dust’, created by our great B2 Bombers – No money will exchange hands in any way, shape or form,” he wrote.
Within hours of the announced deal, differences over its terms emerged, with Iran denying any surrender of atomic material. “Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV.
In a bid to heap further pressure on Tehran, meanwhile, Trump signed an executive order on Friday tightening and updating financial sanctions on seven commanders from four militia groups closely tied to the regime.
“We will not allow Iraq’s terrorist militias, backed by Iran, to threaten American lives or interests,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said.
Trump further claimed on Friday that Iran, with US help, has “removed, or is removing” all sea mines in the strait.
Late last year, the Trump administration decommissioned four US Avenger-class minesweepers, the backbone of the US capability for clearing the Persian Gulf.
Trump takes a victory lap over reopening and falling oil prices
In a bid to capitalise on the rare bit of good news for a presidency weathering repeated setbacks, Trump’s fingers blazed on Friday morning with postings taking credit, exacting verbal retribution and slamming perceived doubters.
“This deal is not tied, in any way, to Lebanon, but we will, MAKE LEBANON GREAT AGAIN!” he claimed, as the reported cost for that battered country reached over 2,000 dead, 7,000 injured, 1.2 million displaced and US$6.8 billion in direct physical damage.
Trump also praised for their bravery and help Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar – Gulf states that host significant Trump family projects – which Iran attacked as it marshalled counterstrikes against a range of hard and soft regional targets.
He also claimed that Iran has agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open in perpetuity – “It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!” he wrote.




And Trump took a dig at European allies who have long earned his ire and who balked at joining a war they were reportedly not consulted on, yet have suffered significantly more economically, along with much of the rest of the world, than the US.
“Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help,” Trump wrote. “I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!”
France and the United Kingdom said Friday they would lead a multilateral effort to secure freedom of navigation in the strait but only after lasting peace was secured.
Trump playbook: pressure, crisis, credit
If this juncture does indeed lead to an easing of tensions and a wind-down in the war, it follows a long-standing Trump playbook: ratchet up pressure, create a crisis, then take credit for solving the problem he created. The difference this time is that he has held the global economy hostage.
“A GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD! DJT,” he posted.
The news comes as Trump weathers near historic lows at the polls, rising inflation and high gas prices, a strong Supreme Court rebuke of his signature global tariff programme, a likely drubbing in the coming midterm election, a legal halt to his oversized White House ballroom ambitions and festering distrust over his handling of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“This has been by far the most successful first year of any administration in the history of our country,” Trump said in Arizona.
Friday’s apparent breakthrough leaves several unanswered questions.
This includes what exact role China played in pressuring the US and Iran to reach a settlement, positioning Pakistan as mediator and channelling the interests of its fellow Asian imported energy-dependent neighbours.
“Given China’s recent behind-the-scenes brokering of a ceasefire through Islamabad, Beijing is taking a more active diplomatic approach in Iran and the Middle East in general”, albeit with limitations, said Lyle Morris, a senior fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute.
“Ultimately, however, China is keenly aware that true peace flows through the corridors of Washington, Tehran and Jerusalem.”




Also unclear is whether Israel, Iran, Lebanon and Hezbollah, among others, will stand down; the impact on the world’s transition to renewable energy; and how long global oil prices will remain elevated given that oil wells need to be turned back on and prices tend to rise quickly but decline slowly.
Iran’s insistence that ships follow a route of its choosing also leaves open the question of whether tolls will be collected to pass through what has been an open international waterway – including the transactional US president’s idea at one point that the two nations share any proceeds.
Any such move could have a profound impact on the global economy, erode the open global trading system created by the US after World War II and have spillover effects on other strategic chokepoints, including the Strait of Malacca.
The far narrower Asian strait – around 1.7 miles (2.7km) wide at its narrowest point compared with 21 miles (33.7km) for its Hormuz counterpart – plays a far larger role in overall global trade, including passage of some 80 per cent of China’s crude oil imports compared with around 50 per cent for its Middle East counterpart.
Additional reporting by Khushboo Razdan and Lucy Quaggin


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Iran, US say Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels

A drone view shows the Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arriving in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra, Iraq, on Friday. Photo: Reuters

US President Donald Trump said the US naval blockade would remain in full force for all Iranian vessels and supplies for now. Photo: TNS

Europe tests ‘third way’ on Hormuz without the US, Israel and Iran. Will it work?

Some 34 per cent of the global oil trade passed through the Strait of Hormuz last year. Photo: Reuters

The idea of the summit is said to go back more than a month to when French President Emmanuel Macron visited Cyprus. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker passes through Strait of Hormuz amid US blockade

Shipping data shows a Hong Kong-flagged ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Hormuz blockade: shipping industry slams transit fees as 20,000 seafarers still stranded

A person points at a website tracking marine traffic and showing commercial vessels on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast last month. Photo: TNS

Iran has opened Strait of Hormuz but will the US ease its economic squeeze?

With a two-week ceasefire to expire next week, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth says the US will attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure if diplomatic efforts fail. Photo: AFP

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Move eases oil fears, but US’ Iran blockade remains amid questions over enforcement and China’s role, as Trump claims to have ended 10 wars


Move eases oil fears, but US’ Iran blockade remains amid questions over enforcement and China’s role, as Trump claims to have ended 10 wars.


Iran, US say Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Move eases oil fears, but US’ Iran blockade remains amid questions over enforcement and China’s role, as Trump claims to have ended 10 wars

Move eases oil fears, but US’ Iran blockade remains amid questions over enforcement and China’s role, as Trump claims to have ended 10 wars