Tehran says Strait of Hormuz 'completely open' for remaining duration of ceasefire
Backdropped by ships in the Strait of Hormuz, damage, according to local witnesses caused by several recent airstrikes during the U.S.-Israel military campaign, is seen on a fishing pier in the port of Qeshm island, Iran, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Asghar Besharati)
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said in a post on X that passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "declared completely open" for the remaining period of the ceasefire, in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon.
Mr Araqchi said in a post on X that the Strait was open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the US-brokered 10-day truce between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed between Israel and Lebanon.
He said the passage of ships would need to be along the route that Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation had announced.
The US-Israeli attack on Iran, which started on February 28, has killed thousands of people and destabilised the Middle East. The conflict also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas transits, threatening the worst oil shock in history.
Oil prices fell by about 9%, extending earlier losses, following Mr Araqchi's post.
The International Monetary Fund this week lowered its forecasts for global growth and warned the global economy risked tipping into recession if the conflict was prolonged.
Mr Trump had said on Thursday that talks could happen as soon as this weekend, although that was looking increasingly unlikely by Friday afternoon, given the logistics of assembling officials in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where the talks are expected to take place.
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