In what appeared to be a possible Iranian gesture toward the United States ahead of a possible continuation of talks between the two countries, and after President Donald Trump pressed Israel to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon, Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain fully open to commercial shipping for the rest of the ceasefire period.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that “the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” adding that transit would take place along the route already announced by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization.
Trump shared Araghchi’s post and wrote that “Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran [sic] is fully open and ready for full passage. Thank you!”
Araghchi’s announcement sent oil prices sharply lower. Brent crude and U.S. West Texas Intermediate both fell Friday on expectations that diplomacy could reduce the risk of further disruption to energy supplies tied to the war with Iran and the closure of Hormuz.
The ceasefire between the United States and Iran is due to expire on April 22, next Wednesday, although reports this week said it was expected to be extended. Mediators were working to prolong the truce. The separate 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon could also be extended by mutual agreement.
Trump said Thursday that there had been “a lot of progress” in contacts with Iran. He said it was not clear whether an extension of the ceasefire would be necessary because Iran was now prepared to do things it had previously refused, and that another meeting with Iranian officials could take place over the weekend. He said that if no agreement were reached, “we’ll go back to fighting.”
Trump also claimed that Iran had committed not to develop nuclear weapons for more than 20 years, had agreed to hand over enriched material and had accepted nearly all U.S. demands. Trump said that if a deal were reached to end the war, he was considering traveling to Islamabad, where the first round of negotiations was held.
Trump also pointed to the ceasefire in Lebanon, which he announced Thursday after speaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The 10-day truce took effect Friday and is intended to open the way for broader negotiations. Trump said he hoped Hezbollah would “behave nicely” during what he described as an important period and suggested that peace might now be possible.
Later Thursday night, Trump repeated his claims that the war with Iran was progressing “very well” and should end soon. In another post about Lebanon, he wrote that it “may have been a historic day” for the country and added: “Good things are happening.”