Iran COMPLETELY opens Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announces key waterway is now 'ready for full passage'

George Bunn
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:21:44 +0000

Iran has confirmed the Strait of Hormuz is open for all commercial vessels for the remaining period of ceasefire with the US and Israel.

President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social page to say the passage is "fully open and ready for full passage".

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said the passage of vessels through the strait will be on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of Iran.

The US-Israeli attack on Iran, which started on February 28, has killed thousands of people and destabilised the Middle East.

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The conflict also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas transits, threatening the worst oil shock in history.

President Trump has confirmed the naval blockade will remain "in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100 per cent complete."

He continued: "This process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated."

The announcement on reopening the strait came as Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a meeting in Paris aimed at safeguarding the flow of trade through the maritime chokepoint once hostilities in the Middle East cease.

The US and Iran are in the middle of a fragile truce which is due to last until April 22, while Israel and Lebanon have begun a 10-day ceasefire.

Mr Araghchi said: "In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran.”

In Paris, Sir Keir pledged to do "everything I can" to reopen the route as he joined the international talks, which do not feature the US, Israel or Iran.

Friday’s meeting at the Elysee Palace brings together 40 countries and the International Maritime Organisation to formulate plans for a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation.

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Accompanied by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton, the Prime Minister was calling for a "multinational initiative to protect freedom of navigation".

"We must reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance operations to ensure a return to global stability and security," he said.

The talks in Paris will be followed by a multinational military planning summit at the UK’s permanent joint headquarters in Northwood, north-west London, next week.

But it remains highly unlikely that any of the countries taking part on Friday will deploy ships to the Strait of Hormuz until the war is over.