Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz could be closed again if the US blockade persists, while Donald Trump insists the blockade will remain until a “transaction” with Tehran is finalized.
Iran’s Foreign Minister announced that the Strait of Hormuz is now fully accessible to commercial vessels. This declaration has fueled hopes for an eventual resolution to the conflict in the Middle East and led to a drop in oil prices, despite analysts cautioning against an immediate, widespread return to normal passage through the crucial waterway.
In a series of social media posts on Friday, Donald Trump asserted that Iran had committed to never again closing the strategic waterway, proclaiming it “A GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD!”
However, Abbas Araghchi’s pledge received only qualified endorsement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an entity that has significantly bolstered its authority in Tehran throughout the war.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, subsequently cautioned that “the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open” if the US blockade continues. Ghalibaf, in a veiled criticism of the US president, added that the status and regulations of the strait “will be determined by the field, not by social media.”
Trump also stated that Iran had agreed to an indefinite suspension of its nuclear program and would not receive any frozen funds from the US. During an interview with Bloomberg, he indicated that discussions for a peace deal to end the war would “probably” take place this weekend.
Separately, the US President informed Reuters that Washington intended to collaborate with Iran to retrieve its enriched uranium, which he termed “nuclear dust” to be collected at “a nice leisurely pace” and transported to the US. Iranian authorities offered no immediate response to this claim, though Tehran has consistently maintained that its right to enrich uranium domestically is inviolable.
When questioned about reports suggesting the US was contemplating a $20 billion cash-for-uranium deal, Trump responded: “It’s totally false. No money is changing hands.”
Araghchi’s announcement that the strait was “declared completely open” coincided with the first full day of a new 10-day truce in Lebanon. This truce partially halted hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah Islamist militant movement, providing a fragile respite in parts of the country following weeks of relentless Israeli airstrikes that claimed hundreds of civilian lives.
Trump asserted that Israel would cease its attacks on Lebanon, stating: “They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A.”
Minutes prior to Trump’s post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu uploaded a video to his official YouTube page, declaring that Israel’s operations against Hezbollah were not yet complete. He stated: “We have not yet finished the job. There are things we plan to do to address the remaining rocket threat and the drone threat.”
Shortly thereafter, reports indicated that an Israeli drone strike had killed one person in southern Lebanon. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed that the IDF was not withdrawing from the country and that military action could recommence.
Iranian state television quoted a senior military official who stated that commercial vessels would be permitted to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, but only along a specified route and with the authorization of the IRGC navy.
Trump confirmed that the US blockade on Iranian ports and shipping would remain in effect for the time being. He noted that few vessels are likely to risk passage through the strait under such uncertain conditions, implying that a return to normality remains a distant prospect.
“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,” the US president posted on his Truth Social network, adding that “this process should go very quickly.”
On Friday, the US Treasury Department extended the allowance for further purchases of sanctioned Russian oil loaded on vessels until May 16, prolonging an initial 30-day waiver that had expired on April 11. Trump’s administration has been working to manage global energy prices, which have surged during the conflict.
This extension came two days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had stated that Washington would not be renewing the waiver permitting countries to purchase Russian oil without incurring US sanctions.
In Paris, representatives from approximately 40 nations convened at a conference co-chaired by France and the UK to discuss an international strategy for securing the strait, a waterway that transported about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies prior to the conflict.
Iran’s closure of the strait shortly after the conflict began had caused oil prices to surge, fueled inflation, and threatened a profound economic crisis capable of triggering global recessions.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Araghchi’s statement, urging “full, unconditional reopening by all the parties.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that any proposal to reopen the strait must be “lasting and workable.”
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, welcomed Iran’s announcement regarding the strait but noted that the situation remained “fragile.” He added: “This was positive news that we received last night. We hope that it holds, but what we know is that the impact will be long lasting.”
Trump, however, stated that he had rejected an offer of assistance from NATO, instructing them to stay away unless their intention was to load ships with oil.
“They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!” he posted on social media, subsequently thanking Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Qatar.
Shipping industry associations indicated they were reviewing the situation.
“We are currently verifying the recent announcement related to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, in terms of its compliance with freedom of navigation for all merchant vessels and secure passage,” stated Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the UN shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Regional diplomats have been engaged in an intense effort in recent days to avert a resurgence of violence among Iran, Israel, and the US.
The current ceasefire with Iran, declared by Donald Trump earlier this month, is scheduled to expire on Tuesday. Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief, who has emerged as a crucial mediator, is currently in Tehran to advance negotiations for a more enduring peace.
Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign ministry, stated at a Thursday news briefing that “peace in Lebanon and cessation of armed attacks in Lebanon are essential for peace talks.”
In Lebanon, the fragile ceasefire was met with widespread celebrations. In Beirut, cars laden with mattresses on their roofs drove past cheering crowds, who congratulated displaced individuals on their return home. Vehicles blared pro-Hezbollah music and waved the group’s yellow flags, claiming victory.
The mass return to the south occurred despite the continued occupation of a portion of Lebanese territory by the Israeli army and warnings from the Israeli military spokesperson against traveling south of the Litani River. Hezbollah, the Lebanese army, and the Speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, Nabih Berri, all issued statements urging residents of south Lebanon to defer their return home.
Few, however, seemed to heed this advice, as vast queues formed in front of ruined bridges over the Litani. Israel had bombed the only remaining intact bridge—the Qasmiyeh bridge, which leads into the southern Lebanese city of Tyre—just hours before the ceasefire.
The conflict in Iran escalated into Lebanon when Hezbollah launched missile attacks against Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Tehran, provoking a fierce Israeli response, including a ground invasion into southern Lebanon. This occurred 15 months after the previous major conflict between the two parties.
The ceasefire terms restore Lebanon to a status quo highly similar to the period following the previous November 2024 ceasefire. Like that agreement, it grants Israel the “right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time” within Lebanon, despite the presumed cessation of hostilities.
Mairav Zonszein, a senior Israel analyst at the International Crisis Group, noted that the ceasefire had left residents of northern Israel “seething.”
“Netanyahu is grasping for a workable narrative, as the majority of Israelis support continuing the war. This is despite the fact that the Israeli military has cast doubt on its ability to disarm Hezbollah through military force alone,” Zonszein commented.
A cessation of Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah was a primary demand of Iranian negotiators, who had previously accused Israel of violating the current ceasefire agreement with strikes on Lebanon. Israel, however, maintained that the deal did not encompass Lebanon.
The fighting has resulted in the deaths of at least 3,000 people in Iran, over 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Additionally, thirteen US service members have been killed.
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