Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Friday that all commercial vessels may transit through the Strait of Hormuz until the ceasefire with the United States and Israel expires. U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the decision but added that the American naval blockade of Iranian ports will remain in force. Meanwhile, Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared support for efforts aimed at ensuring the strait remains permanently open, stressing that success depends on maintaining the ceasefire.
Araghchi shared the announcement in a post on X. The ceasefire has been in effect since April 8 and is scheduled to last until Wednesday, April 22.
“Iran has just announced that the strait is fully open and full traffic can resume. Thank you!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
U.S. naval blockade remains in place
In a subsequent post, Trump stated that the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue. The United States imposed the blockade on Monday to exert economic pressure on Iran and force concessions in negotiations.
The American president noted that the blockade will remain until the “transaction with Iran is fully completed,” which he claimed could happen soon, as “most elements of the agreement have already been negotiated.”
In recent days, Trump has repeatedly indicated that Iran has agreed to nearly all of Washington’s demands. According to media reports, the deal could permanently end the conflict and regulate, among other issues, Iran’s nuclear program.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, which retaliated with attacks on countries in the Persian Gulf. Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only selected vessels to pass while blocking hundreds of others. Iranian authorities also announced plans to charge fees for transit through the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime route for exporting resources from the Persian Gulf region. Under normal conditions, around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passes through this corridor.
Oil prices fall
The blockade of the strait caused a surge in global gas and oil prices. Before the conflict, a barrel of Brent crude cost around $70; in March, it rose to nearly $120. On Friday, it stood at about $100, and following Iran’s announcement, it dropped below $90.
Araghchi added on X that reopening the strait is linked to the ceasefire in Lebanon, which came into effect overnight from Thursday to Friday. Israel had been fighting the Iran-backed Hezbollah there, and clashes continued despite the ceasefire with Iran. The United States and Israel treated those hostilities as a separate conflict, while Tehran insisted that the ceasefire should also cover Lebanon.
In another Truth Social post, Trump stated on Friday that “this agreement is in no way related to Lebanon.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer co-chaired a meeting in Paris on Friday focused on ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Both leaders welcomed Iran’s decision to reopen the passage.
Trump had previously criticized NATO allies for their reluctance to cooperate in efforts to unblock the strait.
Polish Foreign Ministry declares support
Following Friday’s international videoconference, Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared support for initiatives aimed at permanently reopening the strait.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, representing Prime Minister Donald Tusk, took part in the meeting, which included representatives of nearly 50 countries and organizations, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The conference, organized at the initiative of the UK and France, focused on the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and mechanisms to restore freedom of navigation.
During the meeting, the Polish Foreign Ministry emphasized that engagement in the Middle East must not weaken vigilance toward Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
It was also stressed that regional destabilization and the resulting rise in energy prices directly serve the interests of the Kremlin. The ministry highlighted the need for continued pressure on Moscow to prevent it from exploiting global crises to finance its war against Ukraine.