The last 24 hours have been confusing for sailors trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has mostly obstructed since early March.
The confusion started when Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Friday that with a truce established in Lebanon, “the route for all commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz is officially open for the duration of the ceasefire,” which concludes next week.
Araghchi suggested that Iran’s strict oversight of the Strait is shifting to a more relaxed system, where vessels must navigate “on the coordinated route as already announced” by Iranian officials.
US President Donald Trump quickly endorsed the action but then stated that the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain “in full force” until a comprehensive agreement with Iran was achieved.
Tehran rejected this, and a semi-official Iranian outlet – Tasnim – also censured Araghchi for generating “multiple uncertainties regarding the conditions for passage, its specifics, and its methods.”
“Transit through the Strait will be restricted, contingent on fee payment, and managed by Iran,” reported another Iranian source, Mizan, linked to more hardline factions.
On Saturday, the Iranian military emphasized that passage for commercial shipping would be heavily limited as long as the US blockade was in place.
The navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) later posted on X, stating: “While the transit of ships from Iran to Iran continues to be endangered, the condition of the Strait of Hormuz will persist as it was.”
In the face of uncertainty, shipping firms remain reluctant to navigate the Strait. Following the departure of multiple tankers from the Gulf early Saturday, additional ones seemed to be circling without moving forward.
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