Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open to commercial vessels

U.S. President Donald Trump amplified the news within minutes, stating on social media that Iran had announced the strait “is fully open and ready for full passage.” Yet Trump simultaneously made clear that the American naval blockade of the waterway would “remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a broader agreement with Washington to end the ongoing war. The dual announcements — Iran declaring passage open, the United States insisting its blockade holds — left the practical effect on shipping ambiguous, with officials providing no immediate clarification on how both positions could coexist.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically critical maritime chokepoints. Roughly 20 percent of global petroleum trade transits the narrow passage between Iran and Oman, making it a central pressure point in any conflict involving Tehran. Control of or threats to the strait have long been a central instrument of Iranian leverage in its standoffs with Western powers and Gulf neighbors alike.

The opening announcement came hours after midnight in Beirut, where residents fired celebratory gunshots into the air to mark the start of the Israel-Hezbollah truce. Displaced families began moving toward southern Lebanon and the city’s southern suburbs despite official warnings to hold off until the situation stabilized. A spokesperson for United Nations peacekeepers operating in southern Lebanon confirmed that no airstrikes had been observed since midnight, though the spokesperson also accused the Israeli military of violating Lebanese airspace and conducting artillery shelling in the south after the truce took effect. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to those accusations.

Under the terms of the agreement as shared by the U.S. State Department, Israel retains the right to act in self-defense against imminent threats but is barred from conducting offensive operations against southern Lebanon. Whether Israel’s post-ceasefire actions fell within that definition remained a point of contention on the first hours of the truce.

Trump, speaking at a Las Vegas event, hailed the Lebanon deal as a “historic day for Lebanon.” He also expressed confidence that the broader conflict with Iran was approaching its conclusion. “I will say the war in Iran is going along swimmingly,” Trump said. “It should be ending pretty soon.” The president’s remarks signaled that Washington views the Lebanon truce as a stepping stone toward a wider diplomatic resolution — though the timeline and framework of any such deal remain unspecified.

The Hormuz announcement, however conditional, represents a notable diplomatic signal. Whether it translates into any tangible easing of shipping pressure will depend heavily on how — or whether — the broader U.S.-Iran negotiations develop and whether the Lebanon truce survives its early hours intact.