Iran opened the Strait of Hormuz: oil prices fell

US maintains naval blockade of Iran despite resumption of shipping

Iran has announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels for the duration of the truce between Israel and Lebanon. This was announced by the country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

“In accordance with the ceasefire in Lebanon, passage through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open to all commercial vessels for the remainder of the ceasefire,” he wrote.

The minister clarified that the movement will be carried out along an agreed route determined by the Iranian authorities.

In order not to miss new texts from “Layout”, subscribe to our telegram channel

Tehran's conditions and the US position

According to Iranian sources, Tehran will only allow civilian commercial vessels to pass. Warships will not be allowed into the strait. In addition, the ships should not be associated with “aggressor states”, and their routes should be coordinated with the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

At the same time, US President Donald Trump said that, despite the opening of the strait, the naval blockade of Iran by Washington remains.

“The Strait of Hormuz is fully open and ready for business and full passage, but the naval blockade will remain in full force,” he wrote on Truth Social.

According to Trump, the restrictions will remain in place until the deal with Iran is fully completed. Previously, the United States announced its intention to control ships passing through the region and prevent evasion of sanctions.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) clarified that we are talking about a blockade of Iranian ports and coasts, and not the strait itself.

In order not to miss new texts from “Layout”, subscribe to our telegram channel

Truce and negotiations

Tehran's decision is related to the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which came into force on the night of April 17 and is expected to last 10 days.

The agreement was reached through US mediation after the first direct negotiations between the parties in 34 years in Washington with the participation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Israel and Lebanon have formally remained at war since 1948, with security issues, border demarcation and the role of the pro-Iranian Lebanese group Hezbollah remaining the key subject of negotiations. The USA and Israel consider it terrorist.

Iran previously closed the Strait of Hormuz after the start of a military operation by the United States and Israel. Before this, up to 15–20% of the world's oil and more than 30% of liquefied natural gas passed through it.

Market reaction

The opening of the strait immediately affected oil prices . The price of Brent for June delivery on the London Stock Exchange fell by 11.4% to $88 per barrel, later correcting to about $89.5 (a decrease of about 10%).

The market reacted to expectations of a restoration of supplies through one of the world's key energy corridors. The closure of the strait previously led to a reduction in production in the Gulf countries and an increase in energy prices. Brent oil prices exceeded $100 per barrel on certain days.

Previously, “Verstka” wrote about how the Kremlin bots criticized Donald Trump because of the war with Iran , praised Vladimir Putin and remembered the “foreign agents” living in Israel. In two days, pro-government bots left two thousand comments under posts about the situation in the Middle East.

Photo: A ship in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam province, Oman, April 12, 2026. Photo: REUTERS

Support “Vestka” - it’s important and safe →

You can support “Layout” from any country in the world - it is still safe and very important. We really need your support now