Iran said it would allow commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz under routes coordinated by Tehran after a temporary reopening tied to recent ceasefires. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned, however, that Iran would close the strait again if the United States continued a naval blockade of Iranian ports, saying passage would require Iranian authorization and follow Tehran‑determined routes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the waterway as “completely open” for the remainder of the US‑Iran ceasefire, while Tehran stressed the reopening was conditional on the ceasefire and the separate truce between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Tehran had effectively closed the strait on February 28 following US and Israeli operations; about 20% of global oil shipments transit the channel.
US President Donald Trump said the blockade would remain until a long‑term peace deal with Iran was secured and repeatedly posted that the strait would stay open. He also claimed US strikes had recovered enriched uranium Tehran had hidden, a claim Iran denied; Iran’s Foreign Ministry said transfer of enriched uranium was not part of current negotiations. Iran still retains material enriched to around 60% and 20%.
Markets reacted strongly: Brent crude fell more than 11% after the reopening was announced, with analysts seeing the move as de‑escalation. But shipping companies and international bodies urged caution. The International Maritime Organization said it was verifying compliance with freedom of navigation. Shipowners’ groups and BIMCO raised concerns about mine threats and asked for clarification on Iran’s conditions and practical arrangements. A US Navy advisory warned that mine risks in parts of the strait remain incompletely understood and suggested vessels consider avoidance.
European and other leaders opened talks on securing shipping. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at a summit of about 50 countries, called for the full, immediate and unconditional reopening of the strait and planned a military planning meeting for an international safeguarding mission. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the reopening but said it must be unconditional, lawful and involve no payments; he offered German reconnaissance and mine‑clearing support and invited US participation. Italy voiced readiness to provide naval units pending parliamentary approval.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a joint mission to protect freedom of navigation, offering Kyiv’s experience in escorting merchant ships, demining and defending against drone attacks. Several European leaders and shipping firms have pushed for an international operation to secure the strait once hostilities subside.
Context and humanitarian note: A two‑week US‑Iran ceasefire began on April 8 and Iran linked the strait’s reopening to that pause and to the Israel‑Hezbollah truce. Lebanese officials stressed negotiating peace would not compromise sovereignty, even as reports emerged of continued strikes in southern Lebanon. The UN has also highlighted heavy civilian tolls elsewhere in the region: UN figures cited more than 38,000 women and girls killed in Gaza from October 2023 through the end of 2025, with many more injured and facing severe humanitarian impacts.
The situation remains fluid. Tehran conditions reopening on diplomatic progress and ceasefires; Washington maintains pressure through naval measures and public demands; international actors debate an organized mission to secure navigation and clear mines. Shipping firms, insurers and markets continue to await clear signals on safety, mine clearance and unimpeded passage before resuming normal transit through the Strait of Hormuz.