Trump and Iranian foreign minister say Strait of Hormuz is fully open

BEIRUT (AP) — United States President Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister said 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 the Hezbollah militant group and could clear one major obstacle to a deal between Iran and the United States and Israel to end weeks of devastating war.

But it remained unclear whether the militant group would recognize a deal it did not play a role in negotiating, and which will leave Israeli troops occupying a stretch of southern Lebanon.

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.

It was not immediately clear what that meant for the US blockade of the strait, but Trump said the blockade would “remain in full force” until Iran reaches a deal with the US to end the war.

Meanwhile, in Beirut, barrages of gunshots rang out across the city as residents fired into the air just after midnight to celebrate the beginning of the truce, and displaced families began moving toward southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs despite warnings by officials not to attempt to return to their homes until it became clear whether the ceasefire would hold.

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