Iran declared on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was “completely open” for as long as the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon would last, though lingering security concerns cast doubt on how quickly traffic could resume through the vital waterway.

US President Donald Trump gleefully celebrated the reopening of the strait, with news of the move sending oil prices tumbling.

Despite Israeli and US protestations that the Lebanon ceasefire that went into effect overnight was not linked to Iranian pressure, Tehran drew a strait line between the two.

“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,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X, while stipulating that ships must sail along “the coordinated route as already announced” by Iran.

Tehran began blocking the strait, a key pathway for the global oil and natural gas supply, since the beginning of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28. Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports since Monday, amid a ceasefire, intended to prevent Tehran from exporting its oil.

Trump quickly welcomed Tehran’s move, writing in an all-caps Truth Social post that “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE.”

However, Trump made clear that Washington’s own restrictions would remain in place.

“The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage, 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% complete,” he wrote in a subsequent post, referring to a developing agreement aimed at permanently ending the war with Iran.

At the same time, Trump stressed that the emerging deal with Iran was “not tied, in any way, to Lebanon,” despite Tehran explicitly linking the reopening of the strait to the ceasefire there.

Later, Trump said that........

© The Times of Israel