“In line with the ceasefire, the Strait of Hormuz is open for passage in a coordinated route for all commercial vessels as long as the ceasefire is in effect,” Araghchi writes.
It is unclear whether he is referring to the ceasefire between the US and Iran, which came into effect on April 8, or the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which came into effect late Thursday night and will last for ten days, according to US President Donald Trump.
Trump welcomes the news of an open strait and thanks Iran on Truth Social. But he writes in a later post that the US's ongoing blockade of all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman remains in effect.
Just over an hour before the announcement, data from the analysis firm Kpler showed that at least three Iranian oil tankers had left the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reports. This is the first time Iranian ships have done so since the US imposed its naval blockade in the area. The ships are said to have been loaded with oil on Iran's Kharg oil island between April 2 and 9.
Since the Iran-Iraq war broke out on February 28, Tehran has been restricting traffic in the strait, which is vital for world trade. About 20 percent of global oil and gas trade passes through it, along with inputs for artificial fertilizers for the world's food production.
