Iranian state radio and television reported that the first ship crossed the Strait of Hormuz after Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire. TASS, Reuters and other media reported this message. The report indicates that the ship obtained permission from Iran to pass through the strait.
Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth also said during a press conference at the department that the Strait of Hormuz is open for ship passage. According to him, Iran will allow ships to pass through the strait.
“Under the agreements reached and the statements made, the strait is open. Our army is watching, of course, their army is also watching, but commercial shipping will continue,” Hegseth told reporters (quoted by Reuters).
The minister said that the US military “will soon remain” in the Middle East to ensure Iran’s compliance with the ceasefire.
At the same time, sources told Reuters claimThe strait remains essentially closed. They said that several ships in the Arabian Gulf received messages from the Iranian Navy that the Strait of Hormuz was still closed. At the same time, the Iranian side allegedly threatened to destroy ships trying to pass without permission.
Later, the Iranian Fars Agency I mentionedThe movement of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz stopped amid the Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran may open the Strait of Hormuz in a limited and controlled way on April 9 or 10, ahead of talks between US and Iranian officials in Pakistan. Shipping companies, in turn, said they needed additional safety guarantees before sailing.
Before the US and Israeli war with Iran began in late February, about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz. After the outbreak of hostilities, Iran closed the strait.
On the night of April 8, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. US President Donald Trump said that Washington will suspend the bombing of Iran for two weeks, on the condition of the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel supported the truce, but stated that the ceasefire agreements did not apply to Lebanon, where a second front had been opened. On April 8, Israel announced the “largest strike” against Lebanon since the start of the war in the Middle East.