Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” and will remain so for the rest of its negotiated truce with Washington, as the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect. However, Tehran warned that the passage “will not remain open” if the American blockade of Iranian ports is maintained.
Iran’s statement was made by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President of the Islamic Republic’s Parliament, who emphasized that ships crossing the strait must do so with Iran’s authorization.
Earlier on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X: “According to the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage of all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared fully open for the remaining duration of the ceasefire [negotiated with Washington].”
The conclusion of a ceasefire in Lebanon was one of Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Close to a deal with Washington?
On the other hand, US President Donald Trump declared on Friday that the American naval blockade of Iranian ports would be maintained until negotiations with Tehran are completed, following the announcement of the reopening of the strait on his Truth Social network.
Washington imposed its blockade on Monday after Iran refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions during talks that failed in Islamabad.
Trump stated that most of the contentious issues had already been discussed with Iran and that negotiations should conclude quickly. There are five days left in the ceasefire, initially set for two weeks, negotiated between the US and Iran.
Later in the day at a rally in Arizona, despite Iranian denials, President Trump told Reuters that the US would collaborate with Iran to retrieve its enriched uranium and return it to the United States.
Iran has already rejected the idea of transferring its enriched uranium to the US.
In a series of messages posted on Truth Social, the American President successively stated that Washington now prohibits Israel from bombing Lebanon, criticized NATO for its lack of initiative during the crisis, and claimed that Iran has removed or is removing maritime mines with US assistance. He also assured that Iran has agreed to never block the Strait of Hormuz again.
Fragile ceasefire in Lebanon
Despite the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon in effect since Friday, the Lebanese army denounced Israeli violations in the south of the country.
The truce, following a two-week agreement concluded between the US and Iran, started at midnight local time in both countries.
It comes after a month and a half of conflict between Israel and the Shiite Lebanese group Hezbollah, funded and armed by Tehran. Celebratory gunfire rang out in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Hezbollah’s stronghold, according to AFP journalists.
Images from Radio-Canada’s special correspondent in Beirut, Rania Massoud, show Lebanese returning to the southern suburbs of the capital, particularly targeted in recent weeks.
Some residents displayed Hezbollah’s yellow flag or showed portraits of its former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, killed by Israel in 2024.
However, hours later, the Lebanese army mentioned “a number of violations of the agreement, several acts of Israeli aggression being recorded, not to mention the sporadic bombings that have hit several villages.”
The Lebanese army also called on people displaced by the fighting to refrain from returning immediately to southern Lebanon.
Check points:
- Iranian announcement of open Strait of Hormuz and conditions
- Impacts of ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon
- Confirmation of US-Iran negotiations
- Details of incidents in Lebanon and Israel
- Statements from US President Trump and other leaders
- Economic impacts of the situation on global markets
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