US President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday the opening of the Strait in a Truth Social message that read: “Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully opened and ready for full passage.”
In another Truth Social post, Trump said that the Strait is “completely open and ready for business and full passage.”
He also confirmed that the US blockade on Iranian ports “will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced earlier on Friday that all ships will be allowed to cross the Strait of Hormuz following the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
“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 the ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by the Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,” Arahgchi said in an X/Twitter post.
The need to coordinate a route with the Iranian regime shows that the Strait still has marine mines deployed. Trump said in a later statement that Iran would be helping the US to clear the Strait of all mines deployed.
The report points out how Iran used decentralized forces during the conflict and to close the Strait, with small boats leading the operations to mine the waterway, and without a clear command chain on how to do it.
These make the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s main oil waterways, through which 20% of global consumption passes, almost impossible to transit.
The officials call the mining of the Strait an action carried out “haphazardly,” with intelligence indicating that Iran doesn’t have a clear idea of where each mine was placed.
