Iran’s foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels, while President Trump said the U.S. blockade will stay in force. The declaration comes amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions and follows a series of maritime alerts in the Gulf region.
The strait, a narrow chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of global oil passes, is critical to worldwide energy markets and to the economies of neighboring states. Any disruption can ripple through fuel prices, affect trade balances, and influence diplomatic calculations across the Middle East and beyond.
Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir‑Abdollahian said, “Passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is completely open.” He said the decision reflects Iran’s desire to ease shipping pressures after a brief closure that was described as a response to “aggressive actions” targeting Iranian interests in the region. The announcement was made on Friday during a press briefing in Tehran.
President Donald Trump said, “The blockade will remain in full force.” — The comment was delivered at a White House press briefing the same day. A CBS News live update, however, quoted Trump as welcoming Iran’s announcement and did not mention a continuation of the blockade, creating a clear discrepancy between the two U.S. reports.
The United States has maintained a maritime restriction on Iranian ships and ports since early 2024, using it as leverage amid ongoing regional disputes, including the fragile Israel‑Lebanon ceasefire. U.S. officials said the measure pressures Tehran, while Tehran said the restriction infringes on international navigation rights.
European allies have said de‑escalation is needed. A UK foreign office spokesperson said the reopening of the strait is a positive step for global trade, but emphasized that “any unilateral actions that threaten freedom of navigation should be avoided.” The EU’s foreign policy chief said the call for dialogue and warned that mixed signals could further destabilize an already volatile region.
If the U.S. blockade persists while Iran declares the waterway open, shipping companies may face conflicting directives, raising insurance premiums and prompting rerouting of tankers. Analysts warn that such uncertainty could tighten global oil supplies and add volatility to markets already sensitive to geopolitical shocks.
“The blockade will remain in full force.”
The clash between Iran’s reopening of the Hormuz waterway and the United States’ insistence on maintaining a blockade creates a diplomatic tug‑of‑war that could force commercial vessels to choose between conflicting orders, driving up shipping costs and potentially tightening global oil supplies. The mixed U.S. messages also risk confusing allies and markets, increasing the likelihood of heightened tensions in a region already strained by the Israel‑Lebanon ceasefire and broader Middle‑East rivalries.
