Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz will remain “completely open” for commercial shipping as long as the ongoing ceasefire in the Middle East holds, easing concerns over global oil supply disruptions.

“The passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” Araghchi wrote on social media platform X, signalling Tehran’s willingness to stabilize maritime trade during the fragile truce. 

It remained unclear whether Araghchi was referring to the 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel that took effect at midnight, or the earlier two-week truce between Iran and the United States that began on April 8. Iran had previously linked reopening the waterway to extending the ceasefire to Lebanon, according to state media reports.

Lebanon was drawn into the broader conflict that began on February 28, when Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel in support of Iran, escalating regional tensions and raising fears over energy supplies passing through the narrow maritime corridor.

According to AFP, a senior Iranian military official told state television that only civilian vessels would be allowed to pass through designated routes and with authorization from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy. “The passage of military vessels through the Strait of Hormuz remains prohibited,” the official said. 

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Tehran’s move to reopen the waterway but emphasized that Washington would maintain its naval blockade on Iranian ports until a comprehensive peace deal is reached. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the blockade would remain “in full force and effect” against Iran, adding that negotiations “should go very quickly.”

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies transit, has been at the center of market volatility in recent weeks. Oil prices, which had surged amid fears of supply disruptions, fell sharply following Iran’s announcement that commercial shipping would resume. 

The development is seen as a tentative step toward stabilizing global energy markets, though analysts caution that the situation remains fragile and dependent on the durability of the ceasefire.

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