Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi says the Strait of Hormuz is completely open to commercial ships for the remainder of the ceasefire.
The Strait of Hormuz is “declared completely open” for the “remaining period of ceasefire,” says Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
In a statement on X, he says: “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 ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran.”
The US announced it would begin a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, after Iran had effectively closed the world’s busiest oil shipping channel for weeks in response to the US-Israeli attack on Iran in February.
We have not heard an immediate response from the US. The two-week Iran-US ceasefire is due to expire on 22 April.
“Thank you!” Donald Trump posts on Truth Social moments later.
He said “but 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 per cent complete.
“This process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated. Thank you for attentions to this matter!”
Oil prices dropped immediately after Iran’s announcement.
Following the announcement, the cost of a barrel of Brent crude fell to below $90 a barrel, having been above $98 earlier in the day.
NYMEX light sweet crude, the US benchmark, also dropped significantly.
Before the conflict, Brent crude was trading at just below $70 a barrel. It rose above $100 in early March and peaked at more than $119 later that month.
The confirmation came as the UK and France hosted a meeting with dozens of other countries to discuss freedom of navigation in the Striat.
Earlier, a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon began, with celebration and fireworks in Beirut
More than 2,000 people in Lebanon have been killed in the six-week conflict, with one in five people displaced; Israel says two of its civilians and 13 soldiers have been killed.
Israel says its troops will remain in a 10km-deep (6.2 mile) “security zone” in southern Lebanon.
BBC
