UN: Reopening of Strait of Hormuz a step toward restoring navigation rights

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday (April 17) the Strait of Hormuz was open following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, while U.S. President Donald Trump said talks could take place this weekend and he believed a deal to end the Iran war would come "soon."

Araghchi said in a post on X the strait was open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the U.S.-brokered 10-day truce that was agreed on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon to halt fighting between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Shortly after Araghchi's statement, Trump posted on Truth Social: "IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR PASSAGE."

But statements from both sides left uncertainty over how quickly shipping could resume. Trump said a U.S. blockade of ships sailing to Iranian ports - announced after talks with Tehran last weekend ended without agreement - would remain until "our transaction with Iran is 100% complete."

Iran responded sharply, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei warning that Tehran would take "necessary reciprocal measures" if a maritime blockade continued.

Vessel traffic data showed a group of around 20 ships, including container ships, bulk carriers, and tankers, moving through the Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz. It was unclear whether they would be stopped or allowed to pass.

It also was unclear how the two sides would address Iran's nuclear program, which has been a key sticking point in talks so far.

U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, triggering Iranian attacks on Gulf neighbors and reigniting the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon.

Thousands have been killed and the conflict effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz - through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas usually transits - threatening the worst oil shock in history.

At the United Nations, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Iran's announcement as "a step in the right direction," but stressed that the U.N. position remained that full navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz must be restored and respected by all parties in line with international law.

Dujarric also said the secretary-general remained supportive of diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful path out of the conflict.

-Roselle Chen/Reuters