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US President Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open to commercial vessels, as a 10-day truce in Lebanon appeared to hold.
The truce offered a pause in fighting between Israel and Hizbollah group and could clear one major obstacle to a deal between Iran and the United States and Israel to end weeks of devastating war.
In a social media post, Trump said Iran announced that the strait “is fully open and ready for full passage.”
Minutes earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the passage for all commercial vessels through the strait “is declared completely open” in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon. He said it would stay open for the remaining period of the ceasefire.
US BLOCKADE REMAINS IN PLACE
Shortly after Araqchi’s statement, Trump posted on Truth Social: “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR PASSAGE.” However, Trump said the US military blockade of ships sailing through the Strait to Iranian ports — announced after talks with Iran last weekend in the Pakistani capital Islamabad ended without agreement — remained in place.
He said that blockade will remain in full force until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete,” which he said should happen very quickly given that most points were already negotiated.
Trump had said on Thursday that talks could happen as soon as this weekend, although that was looking increasingly unlikely by Friday afternoon given the logistics of assembling officials in Islamabad, where the talks are expected to take place.
Despite Trump’s optimism, Iranian sources told Reuters on Friday that some “gaps remained to be resolved” before reaching a preliminary deal and senior clerics leading Friday prayers struck a defiant tone.
In a sermon in Tehran, cleric Ahmad Khatami said: “Our people do not negotiate while being humiliated,” while in the central city of Isfahan, the imam said: “We did not accept the terms proposed by the other party.” In Islamabad, troops were seen along routes leading into the capital on Friday, but roads were still open and the government had not issued orders for businesses to shut down, as they did prior to the last meeting.
BACKDOOR DIPLOMACY PROGRESS
A Pakistani source involved in mediating between the US and Iran said on Friday there was progress in backdoor diplomacy and that an upcoming meeting between the two sides could result in the signing of a memorandum of understanding, followed by a comprehensive deal within 60 days.
“Both sides are agreeing in principle. And technical bits come later,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
One of the key sticking points has been over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, with the US proposing at last weekend’s talks a 20-year suspension of all Iranian nuclear activity.
Tehran suggested a halt of three to five years, according to people familiar with the proposals. Iran has demanded international sanctions on it be lifted and Washington has pressed for any highly enriched uranium to be removed from Iran.
Two Iranian sources have said there were signs of a compromise on the HEU stockpile, with Tehran considering shipping part of it out of the country.
Trump told reporters outside the White House on Thursday that Iran had agreed to “give us back the nuclear dust,” but Iran’s state media outlet Mizan disputed that claim on Friday, highlighting ongoing differences. No negotiation regarding the “transfer of Iran’s highly enriched uranium to America had ever taken place, and naturally there is no agreement on this matter either,” it said, citing sources.
Trump heralded the deal a “historic day for Lebanon,” even as he expressed confidence that the war with Iran would soon end in a Las Vegas speech.
“I will say the war in Iran is going along swimmingly,” Trump said. “It should be ending pretty soon.”
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to the ceasefire “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon, but also said Israeli troops would not withdraw.
Associated Press / Reuters
