Iran Opens the Hormuz Strait for Commercial Traffic

The Iranian Foreign Minister stated on Friday that the passage for all commercial vessels through the Hormuz Strait is fully open until the end of the ceasefire period, in accordance with the truce in Lebanon.

Vessel navigation through the strait will follow a coordinated route previously announced by the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization, added Abas Arakchi in his statement on platform X.

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the Iranian announcement regarding the complete opening of the strait for navigation during the ceasefire, marking a key point in negotiations between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending the war.

– Iran has just announced that the Iranian Strait is fully open and ready for unhindered passage. Thank you! – the U.S. President posted on his Truth Social platform in a message written in capital letters, mistakenly referring to the Hormuz Strait as ‘Iranian’.

Minutes later, Trump added that the U.S. naval blockade would remain in effect ‘exclusively concerning Iran’ until their ‘transaction with Iran is 100 percent completed’.

– This process should go very quickly since most points have already been negotiated – the Republican added.

The ceasefire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah came into effect on Thursday evening in Lebanon for a period of ten days, while the ceasefire between the United States and Iran lasts until April 22.

LONDON, April 17, 2026 (Hina/Reuters) – Oil prices plummeted on Friday in international markets below $87 after Iran responded to the ceasefire in Lebanon with the complete opening of the Hormuz Strait, signaling a possible normalization of energy transit.

On the London market, a barrel was traded in the afternoon at a price $12.87 lower than yesterday’s closing price of $86.52. On the U.S. market, it was cheaper by $13.28, standing at $81.41.

The Iranian opening of the Hormuz Strait brought relief to oil markets at the end of the working week. Separate calculations by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) show that a barrel of the oil basket was $0.23 more expensive on Thursday, standing at $104.79.