Strait of Hormuz reopening claims meet US warning blockade stays until Iran deal

Iran said on Friday that it reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial ships. The claim came as a 10-day truce in Lebanon appeared to be holding. However, US President Donald Trump said the US Navy blockade on Iranian shipping would stay. Trump linked any change to a wider deal with Tehran, including its nuclear programme.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that the vital waterway was "now fully open to commercial vessels\". About 20 per cent of the world’s oil moves through the strait. Araghchi said ships would travel on routes set by the Islamic Republic. The message suggested Iran would still manage access with Iranian authorities.

Strait of Hormuz blockade and shipping routes

A shipping data firm, Kpler, said traffic still stayed inside corridors needing Iran’s approval. It remained unclear whether ships would have to pay tolls. Trump first welcomed the reopening news on social media. Minutes later, Trump said the US blockade would continue \"UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE.\" Trump also said Iran, with help from the US, was clearing mines.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry criticised the continued US restrictions. A spokesperson called the blockade a breach of last week’s ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US. In state media comments, Esmail Baghaei said, \"the strait is still under the supervision of Iran, which is serious about its commitments.\" Baghaei added, \"No leniency will be shown in this regard.\"

Trump imposed the blockade earlier this week after Iran limited traffic through Hormuz. Iran said the move followed fighting in Lebanon. Tehran said that fighting violated a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire. Trump’s decision to keep the blockade appeared meant to keep pressure on Tehran. The fate of a two-week ceasefire reached last week remained uncertain.

Strait of Hormuz talks and Iran nuclear programme

Direct US-Iran talks last weekend ended without a breakthrough. The sides did not agree on Iran’s nuclear programme and other points. Trump said more talks could happen soon. In a short telephone interview with Axios, Trump said, \"The Iranians want to meet,\" and added, \"They want to make a deal.\" Trump also said, \"I think a meeting will probably take place over the weekend.\"

Oil prices fell on Friday as markets hoped the US and Iran were nearer an agreement. The head of the International Energy Agency had warned the energy crisis could worsen. That warning depended on whether the strait reopened. Iran’s statement came as that risk appeared to ease. Still, the US position kept uncertainty over supply routes.

Two Iranian semiofficial outlets questioned Araghchi’s statement. Fars, seen as close to the Revolutionary Guard, criticised a lack of clarity. It also cited what it called silence from the Supreme National Security Council and negotiators. Mehr said reopening the strait needed clarification. Mehr also said the decision required the supreme leader’s approval.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has recently acted as a top decision centre. This shift followed doubts about the status of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly wounded early in the war. The reports added to questions about who approves major security steps. The debate also shaped public messaging on Hormuz.

Strait of Hormuz pressure and Lebanon ceasefire

The Lebanon ceasefire could remove a key obstacle to a broader agreement. It was unclear how fully Hezbollah would follow a deal it did not negotiate. Israeli troops were set to remain in part of southern Lebanon. Trump wrote that Israel was prohibited by the US from further strikes on Lebanon. The State Department said the limit applied only to offensive attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel accepted the truce at Trump’s request. Netanyahu said the campaign against Hezbollah was not complete. Netanyahu claimed Israel destroyed about 90 per cent of Hezbollah’s missile and rocket stockpiles. Netanyahu added that Israeli forces had not finished dismantling the group. The remarks signalled continued military aims despite the truce.

In Beirut, gunfire celebrations marked the start of the truce. Displaced families began travelling towards southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Officials warned residents not to return until the truce proved stable. The Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers reported sporadic artillery fire. The reports came in the first hours after the ceasefire began.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an Israeli strike near Kounine hit a car and motorcycle. One person was killed and three were wounded, including a Syrian citizen. It was the first airstrike and first reported fatality since the truce began. There was no immediate response from the Israeli army or Hezbollah. The incident raised fresh doubts over how long calm would last.

Ending Israel’s war with Hezbollah was a key Iranian demand in negotiations. Iranian negotiators earlier accused Israel of breaking last week’s ceasefire with strikes on Lebanon. Israel said that ceasefire did not include Lebanon. The wider conflict has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran. More than 2,290 people died in Lebanon, and 23 in Israel.

Strait of Hormuz mediation and wartime compensation

More than a dozen people were killed in Gulf Arab states, and 13 US service members also died. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would hold current positions. Katz included a buffer zone reaching 10 kilometres into southern Lebanon. Katz said many homes would be destroyed and residents would not return. Hezbollah said resistance depended on how events develop.

Israel and Hezbollah have fought several wars and clashed again after the Gaza war began. Israel and Lebanon reached a deal to end earlier fighting in November 2024. Israel still carried out near-daily strikes, citing efforts to stop Hezbollah regrouping. The clashes grew into another invasion after Hezbollah resumed missiles. Hezbollah said the launches responded to Israel’s war on Iran.

A regional official said mediators were seeking compromise on three issues. The points were Iran’s nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz, and compensation for war damages. On Friday, Trump suggested Iran agreed to hand over enriched uranium. Trump wrote, \"The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear Dust, created by our great B2 Bombers -- No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form,\" in a post.

Trump uses \"nuclear dust\" to refer to highly enriched uranium believed buried. The material was thought to be under nuclear sites hit during last year’s 12-day war. If Iran agreed, it would meet a major US demand. It could also shape steps to end the conflict. Iran and intermediaries have not confirmed any such agreement.

For now, Iran’s claim of a reopened Strait of Hormuz sits beside a continuing US blockade. Shipping appeared open but still guided by Iran-approved corridors, according to Kpler. Talks remained unresolved after last weekend, though Trump signalled another meeting. Developments in Lebanon and disputes over nuclear terms continued to shape pressure on Tehran.

With inputs from PTI