The Strait of Hormuz is open again. This was announced by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday, April 17th.
“In accordance with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage of all commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz is declared fully open for the remaining duration of the ceasefire, on the coordinated route announced by the Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he wrote on his X account.
According to the state-owned TV channel Iris, a senior Iranian military official specified that movements of military vessels remain prohibited. “Only civilian ships can pass through [the strait] through designated passages and with permission from the Revolutionary Guards Navy,” he explained.
This announcement was also made by Donald Trump. On his Truth Social network, he stated that the strait is “ready to welcome all traffic” and will allow “unhindered passage.” However, he clarified that “naval blockade will remain fully in place with regard to Iran until negotiations with Iran are 100% complete,” said the Republican president. “This process should proceed very quickly, as most points have already been negotiated,” he added.
He also mentioned that Tehran, with Washington’s help, “has removed” or “was in the process of removing” all maritime mines that had been placed in recent weeks.
Finally, the US president assured that Tehran has “agreed never to close the Strait of Hormuz again” and that this crucial maritime passage “will no longer be used as a weapon against the world.”
These statements were contradicted by a spokesperson for the Iranian president, Seyyed Mohammad Mehdi Tabatabaei. He described Donald Trump’s claims as “baseless statements from the enemy” aiming to “deprive the Iranian people of the pride of the great victories they have won through their resolute defense.” “The conditional and limited reopening of part of the Strait of Hormuz is an exclusively Iranian initiative that creates responsibilities and allows testing the solidity of the commitments of the opposing party,” he affirmed on X.
Washington maintains pressure
On Monday, Donald Trump had imposed a blockade on incoming and outgoing maritime traffic from Iranian ports. This measure aimed to pressure some of Iran’s allies to persuade the country to lift its own blockade. It also aimed to prevent Tehran from benefiting from its oil exports.
Since the announcement of the strait’s reopening, markets have reacted and the price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, has fallen by 10.3% to $89.13. However, it remains above its pre-war level of $70, indicating some caution in the financial markets.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was made possible by the ceasefire signed between Israel and Lebanon. However, it seems fragile: this Friday, Beirut accused Israel of several violations, while Hezbollah claimed to have targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon in retaliation.
A European mission for the sustainable reopening of the strait
The reopening of the strait was a major demand of the United States and the international community, as the global energy crisis worsens due to the closure of this essential route, through which 20% of the world’s oil flows.
Before this announcement, French and British leaders gathered a coalition primarily composed of NATO countries, including South Korea, Australia, and Japan, on Friday to announce the outlines of a plan aimed at restoring navigation in the strait in a sustainable manner.
The mission is expected to include military ships, armed forces, intelligence services, mine-clearing operations, and radar capabilities. Some European countries have already sent ships to the region, as confirmed by Euronews.
“Now that the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we needed help,” wrote Donald Trump on his social network. “I told them to stay out, unless they just want to fill their ships with oil.” “They proved useless when we needed them,” he added.
“It’s great news that the Strait of Hormuz is now reopened,” rejoiced Keir Starmer, who called for a sustainable and viable solution without tolls or restrictions on routes. “Today we announced our joint plan with France and other international partners to protect freedom of navigation,” he added on his social media platforms.
“The goal is to go beyond planning and preposition ships in the region to be ready to act when the conflict subsides,” said a NATO source to Euronews. “But this will be the defensive aspect of things, with ships, sensors, radars, and mine-clearing ships.”
Despite the high number of countries ready to commit resources, an operation of such complexity poses many risks, according to experts. “There is always the possibility that we could be drawn into a broader conflict,” said Ed Arnold, senior security researcher at RUSI, to Euronews. “If you’re not ready to participate in the war, don’t play the first part, because the Iranians will know that the Europeans are a deterrent force,” he added.
The fighting has resulted in at least 3,000 deaths in Iran, over 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, and over a dozen in the Gulf Arab states. Thirteen American military personnel have also been killed.
