Peace between Iran and the United States has seemingly taken a step forward as Iran has moved to reopen traffic on the Strait of Hormuz.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, Iran last week declared tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was traffic “suspended” after Israel continued hammering Hezbollah following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement.
President Trump responded by ordering the U.S. Navy to immediately begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most critical oil chokepoints in the world.
This move has significantly damaged Iran’s already struggling economy.
Then, with the encouragement of Trump, Israel and Lebanon negotiated a 10-day ceasefire to stop the bloodshed.
Trump’s savvy moves appear to have worked, because Iran has now declared the Strait completely reopened for the remainder of the ceasefire.
“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,” Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced on X.
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.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 17, 2026
As a result of Iran’s announcement, the oil prices are now plummeting.
Oil price collapse as Iran announces the Strait of Hormuz is open to all. Stocks will also surge to yet another record at the opening bell. World War III and an economic apocalypse deferred yet again until the next “crisis.” Blue Sky in total mourning. pic.twitter.com/3jlZsDVNMD
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 17, 2026
Trump responded in all-caps on Truth Social. He celebrated the news, but warned that the naval blockade will remain in “full force” until a deal with Iran is finalized.
“THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS AND FULL PASSAGE, BUT 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% COMPLETE,” Trump wrote.
“THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED,” he added. “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”
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Trump Confirms Strait of Hormuz ‘Completely Open’ to All Shipping Traffic
Trump brutally rebuffs NATO after Hormuz reopens and oil prices plunge: ‘STAY AWAY’
Donald Trump turned his fire on NATO as he celebrated the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, branding the alliance ‘useless.’
‘Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He said that he replied that ‘useless’ NATO should ‘stay away’ because they just ‘want to load up their ships with oil.’
Trump’s rhetoric in recent days, particularly his anger over NATO’s refusal to back his blockade of the vital oil route, has fueled speculation he could move to pull the US out of the defensive alliance.
On Friday, the Iranian regime declared the Strait ‘completely open’ following Israel’s 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon.
Iran’s foreign minister announced Friday morning on social media that ‘all commercial vessels’ are now permitted to pass through the critical oil chokepoint, marking a full reopening after nearly a month-long shutdown.
‘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 Organization of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,’ wrote Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
Following the announcement, crude prices plunged 10 percent within minutes to $82 a barrel. The strait carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
The President later added that the US naval blockade of the Strait would ‘remain in full force’ until Iran reaches a deal to end the war.
‘The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage, but 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 percent complete,’ Trump wrote.
‘This process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated,’ he concluded.
Iran had previously insisted the strait would only fully reopen if Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Tehran-backed Hezbollah is active. On Thursday, Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon following a phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu.
After peace talks with the Islamic regime collapsed last weekend in Pakistan, the President launched a naval blockade of the Strait. Iran had halted nearly all commercial transport through the passageway since the start of the war by deploying explosive suicide boats, drones, and mines.
Negotiations between the US and Iran have picked up in recent days, with Washington weighing a proposal to release roughly $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Tehran surrendering its stockpile of enriched uranium, according to Axios.
Trump denied that the US would pay Iran for its uranium stockpile, stating, ‘No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form.’
The President also stated the current peace deal will be ‘in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner.’
‘Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are prohibited from doing so by the USA. Enough is enough!!!
Trump previously said Thursday that US and Iranian negotiators would likely meet this weekend for a second round of talks before a two-week ceasefire approaches its expiration on Tuesday.
A source familiar with the mediation efforts said the talks will take place in Islamabad on Sunday.
Trump also told reporters on Thursday that Iran agreed to hand over highly enriched uranium, which he claims was buried following US airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities last year.
There has been no confirmation from Iran, however, that it made this concession during talks with US officials last week.
Trump also noted he was willing to extend the temporary ceasefire beyond the April 21 deadline if peace talks progress.
Ensuring Iran cannot access their underground nuclear stockpiles, specifically the 450kg of 60 percent enriched uranium, is a primary objective for the Trump administration.
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Israel prohibited from ‘bombing Lebanon any longer,’ warns Trump
US President Donald Trump also confirmed that the US plans to work with Lebanon separately.
Israel is prohibited from “bombing Lebanon any longer,” said US President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post on Friday.
Trump also confirmed that the US will work with Lebanon separately and “deal with the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner.”
“Enough is enough!!!” he concluded in the post.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the ceasefire following its initial announcement on Thursday, hailing it as “an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon.”
In a later statement, Netanyahu claimed that the agreement was accepted at Trump’s request, adding that Israel will “provide an opportunity to advance an integrated diplomatic and military solution with the Lebanese government.”
He also praised the US president’s help in changing the Middle East and achieving “tremendous accomplishments,” including removing threats both “near and distant.”
The near threat, said Netanyahu, is the infiltration of terrorists and anti-tank fire. The distant one is what “Nasrallah has built over the years: The firing of 150,000 missiles and rockets intended to destroy Israel’s cities.”
The prime minister confirmed that both threats have been removed, adding that a security buffer was established along the northern border “up to Mount Hermon, through the Golan Heights, and down to the Yarmouk.” He also claimed that 90% of the terror group’s missile and rocket stockpiles were destroyed.
“They wanted to surround us with a ring of fire; we created a ring of security,” he said.
However, the job is not yet done, he clarified. “There are things we plan to do regarding the remaining rocket threat and the drone threat,” as well as the dismantling of Hezbollah. The prime minister declined to give details of the plan.
Details of the ceasefire
The details of the 10-day ceasefire were delineated in a US State Department press statement released on Thursday.
The agreement states that the Lebanese government commits to take “meaningful steps” to prevent Hezbollah and other “rogue non-state armed groups” in Lebanese territory from attacking Israel.
Additionally, the ceasefire agreement states that Israel will not attack Lebanese targets unless in self-defense, preserving its right to take “all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.”
It also confirmed that Lebanon’s security forces are exclusively responsible for defending the country and its sovereignty, and the only authorized body to bear arms in Lebanon.
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