APTOPIX Lebanon Israel Iran War

Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels. But President Donald Trump says the American blockade on Iranian ships and ports will stay in force until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S., including on its nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted Friday on X that the crucial waterway is now fully open to commercial vessels. This comes as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon appears to hold. Trump initially celebrated the Iranian announcement. But minutes later, he issued another post saying the U.S. Navy’s blockade would continue.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister say the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open to commercial vessels. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the strait “is declared completely open” in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon. Trump said in a social media post that the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ships and ports would remain force until a deal is reached to end the war. The development followed the announcement of a 10-day ceasefire, which appeared to be holding on Friday. It was not clear whether the pause in Lebanon could lead to a lasting deal, but it could indicate that some progress was made.