Strait of Hormuz Opened, Trump Continues Iran Blockade

US President Donald Trump has welcomed Iran’s announcement of fully opening the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire in Lebanon. However, Trump stated that the US blockade on Iranian ports will continue until a peace agreement is signed.

“THANK YOU!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, stating that Iran has announced the route “FULLY OPEN AND READY TO BE PASSED THROUGH FULLY.”

In a second message a few minutes later, as quoted by AFP on Friday (17/4/2026), Trump posted that “The naval blockade will remain fully in effect regarding Iran, only, until our deal with Iran is 100% complete.”

“This process should go very quickly because most points have already been negotiated,” Trump said, using his characteristic all-caps style.

Trump told reporters on Thursday that a peace deal with Iran is “very close” although talks led by Vice President JD Vance in Pakistan over the weekend achieved no breakthroughs.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously announced on Friday that the strait, which is vital for world oil and other commodity trade, would remain “fully open” for as long as the ceasefire in the Middle East is in place.