Iran declares Strait of Hormuz fully open during Middle East ceasefire
via Le Mauricien2 min read
Iran's Foreign Minister announced on Friday that the strategic Strait of Hormuz, vital for global hydrocarbon trade, is "entirely open" for the duration of the Middle East ceasefire. Abbas Araghchi stated on X that the passage of all commercial vessels through the strait is permitted, aligning with the ceasefire in Lebanon. However, a senior Iranian military official, quoted by state television Irib, clarified that military vessel movements remain prohibited. Only civilian ships can traverse designated passages with permission from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy. The reopening of the strait was a condition set by Iran for the truce between the Israeli army and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement, which began on Thursday at 9:00 PM GMT for ten days. The Iranian foreign minister did not specify if the opening would last until the end of the Lebanon ceasefire or the US-Iran ceasefire, which is theoretically set to end on April 22 but could be extended. Donald Trump welcomed Tehran's announcement, while cautioning that the US blockade on Iranian ports would continue until an agreement is reached. The US President posted on Truth Social that Iran had announced the strait was fully open and claimed Iran was removing all its naval mines with US support, stating it would "never again" close the strait, without providing further details. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, following a multinational meeting in Paris on securing the strat
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Mauricien.
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