Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping under ceasefire terms

Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels for the remainder of the two-week ceasefire with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on April 17.

"In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Araghchi said.

An informed source close to Iran's Supreme National Security Council told IRGC-linked Tasnim that Tehran had set three conditions for passage through the strait.

Ships must be commercial, with military vessels prohibited and neither ships nor cargo linked to hostile countries. Vessels must use the route designated by Iran.

Passage must be coordinated with Iranian forces, with the source noting that US Central Command had before the war confirmed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps management of the strait.

The source said Iran had originally agreed to allow daily passage of a number of ships from the start of the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire on April 8. Tehran suspended the arrangement after the Lebanon ceasefire broke down and the agreement failed to include Hezbollah and Israel.

The source warned that if the US naval blockade continued, it would be considered a violation of the ceasefire and passage through the strait would be prevented again.

US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the strait was "completely open and ready for business and full passage," but that the naval blockade would remain in full effect against Iran only until what he described as the transaction with Tehran was complete.

The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began on February 28 following strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior military commanders. Iran responded with 40 days of counter-strikes targeting US and Israeli installations across the region.

A two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan took effect on April 8, enabling mediated negotiations in Islamabad. Iran presented a 10-point plan during the talks calling for the withdrawal of US troops, the lifting of sanctions and control over the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian delegation returned to Tehran after 21 hours of talks without reaching an agreement, citing a lack of trust and US political inconsistency.