“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 Republic of Iran,” Araqchi said in a post on his X account on Friday, April 17.
Moments later, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Tehran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz in a post on his Truth Social.
"THANK YOU!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying that Iran had announced the narrow waterway was "FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE."
Naval blockade remains in place
In another post just minutes later, Trump wrote that “THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS AND FULL PASSAGE.”
However, he added that “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."
Trump also suggested negotiations were nearing completion, saying, “THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED.”
From Tehran
Meanwhile, a high-level Iranian military official told Iranian State TV that "ships can transit through the Strait of Hormuz via a designated route and after securing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard."
"The passage of military vessels through the Strait of Hormuz remains prohibited," another senior military official told state television, adding that civilian vessels would have to transit the waterway through designated routes and with permission of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Navy.
In a post on X, the deputy for communications and information dissemination at the president’s office Sayed Mahdy Tabtaby said “the Twitter rhetoric and baseless statements of the enemy” were aimed at undermining national pride following what he called Iran’s “great victories” achieved through its “resolute defense.”
He added that the “conditional and limited reopening of a portion of the Strait of Hormuz” was “solely an Iranian initiative,” framing the move as both a responsibility and a test of the opposing side’s commitments.
“If they renege on their promises, they will face dire consequences,” Tabtaby said.
In tandem, an informed Iranian source has outlined new details of a tentative arrangement governing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing ceasefire period, according to posts published by Fars News Agency on X.
The source said that, under the two-week ceasefire framework mediated by Pakistan on 8 April, Iran had initially agreed to allow a limited number of vessels to transit the strategic waterway daily.
The arrangement was later suspended after Israel, backed by the US, did not observe the ceasefire in its war in Lebanon, according to the source.
According to the source, Iran has now set three conditions for allowing ships to pass through the strait.
First, only commercial vessels would be permitted, with military ships barred and cargo linked to what were described as “hostile countries” prohibited. Second, all vessels must adhere to routes designated by Iranian authorities. Third, transit must be coordinated directly with Iranian forces overseeing the waterway.
The source added that the arrangement remains conditional on developments tied to the Lebanon ceasefire, warning that continued maritime blockade measures would be considered a violation of the truce and could trigger a renewed closure of the strait.
The context
The Iranian announcement comes as a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, brokered by President Trump, took effect earlier on Friday.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, carrying 20 percent of global oil and gas shipments.
Iran’s decision to explicitly guarantee safe passage during the ceasefire period appears aimed at reassuring international markets and signalling that it does not intend to escalate the conflict while diplomatic efforts are underway to end the war.
In the past 48 hours, the Pakistani military chief has held talks with Iranian officials in Tehran and has headed to Washington to meet with US officials to restart direct negotiations between the two sides.
On 8 April, the United States and Iran agreed on a two-week ceasefire in the war after intense mediation by Pakistan and other regional powers, including Egypt and Turkey.
On Tuesday, Trump told the New York Post that a second round of talks could take place in Pakistan “over the next two days.”
US naval forces began blockading Iranian ports at 1400 GMT on Monday after peace talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement the previous day.
On the other side, Iran has blocked transit through the Strait of Hormuz to all ships affiliated with countries that support the US-Israel war on the country since 28 February.
The Strait's closure has sent oil and fertilizer prices skyrocketing, triggering inflationary pressures globally.
Earlier today, three Iranian oil tankers carrying five million barrels of crude became the first such loaded vessels to leave the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz since a US blockade came into force.
The Deep Sea, Sonia I, and Diona, all under US sanctions, traversed the strategic strait on Wednesday after leaving Iran's Kharg Island, having loaded on April 2, 8, and 9, respectively, according to the maritime data company.
No money for dust
A little later, Trump said the US "get all nuclear dust created by our beautiful B52 bombers - without any money exhanging hands in any way, shape, or form."
In a post on his Truth Social, minutes after he confirmed that Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, Trump stressed, "This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon," either.
Trump's Truth Social denial of plans to exchange money for nuclear dust comes after Axios, citing two US sources, reported that the US and Iran are negotiating over the amount Tehran is asking for to hand its stockpile of enriched uranium to Washington.
According to the Axios report, Iran asked for $27 billion while the US started at $6 billion, but the latest number under discussion is $20 billion in frozen asset releases.
A second US official described the cash-for-uranium concept as "one of many discussions."
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