Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” for all commercial vessels and will remain so during the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.
“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,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on Friday.
A 10-day ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Lebanon late on Thursday, though it remains unclear whether the armed group Hezbollah, which has been fighting Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon during the Iran war, will recognise it.
The passage of vessels through the strait will follow the coordinated route already announced by the Ports and Maritime Organisation of Iran, Araghchi added.
United States President Donald Trump confirmed in a social media post that the strait was “completely open and ready for business and full passage.” However, he added that the blockade would “remain in full force” until Iran reaches a deal with the US to end the war.
The US-Israeli war on Iran, which started on February 28, has killed thousands of people. The conflict saw Iran restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes.
The US subsequently imposed a blockade on Iran’s ports in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf after US-Iran talks in Pakistan failed to reach a breakthrough on Sunday.
Trump Maintains Pressure on Iran
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said the chances of the US lifting the naval blockade were never particularly high, as the Trump administration views it as a way to increase pressure on Iran.
Fisher added that Trump’s main objective is ensuring Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. “If Iran gives that assurance, what they will get in return is the big question,” he said.
“They will want to know that if they give something quite significant, they are getting something in return.”
Trump said on Friday that Israel would no longer bomb Lebanon and that any US deal with Iran is not contingent on developments in Lebanon.
“Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the USA. Enough is enough!!!” he wrote on social media.
A spokesperson for United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon said on Friday that no airstrikes had been observed since midnight, but accused the Israeli military of violating airspace and conducting artillery shelling.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment. According to the agreement shared by the US State Department, Israel may act in self-defence against imminent attacks but cannot carry out offensive operations in southern Lebanon.
Mairav Zonszein, a senior Israel analyst with the International Crisis Group, said direct talks between Lebanon and Israel represent an important breakthrough. However, she noted that the prospects of these talks leading to a sustainable agreement remain limited.
“Nevertheless, a diplomatic track that strengthens the Lebanese government and leads to a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces could weaken Hezbollah politically,” Zonszein said.
