Iran

Strait Talk

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Peter Suderman | 4.9.2026 9:30 AM

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(Illustration: Midjourney/Andrew Leyden/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom)

Getting the story strait. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said that a two-week ceasefire in the war in Iran was predicated on Iran fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy markets.

So is Iran complying? Is the Strait of Hormuz actually open for transit? Here is what's being reported.

Hundreds of tanker ships are apparently waiting to cross through the strait, but the ships are unsure if they will be able to do so without being attacked, according to The New York Times. The Times also reports that only five vessels passed through the strait on Wednesday, which is down from the 10-vessel average over the previous five days.  

Separately, The Wall Street Journal reports that Iran, which mined the strait during the war, has told conflict negotiators that it intends to "limit the number of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz to around a dozen a day and charge tolls." But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is denying reports that the strait is closed, and said that the U.S. will honor the ceasefire so long as it's open with no limitations. 

The exact state of affairs surrounding the strait, and whether it's truly open or not, and if so under what conditions, remains uncertain as of this writing. They're going to have to rename it the Strait of Schrödinger. 

Meanwhile, Trump is on........

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