Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open. Within hours, President Donald Trump said the American blockade was staying put. His post on Friday, April 17, 2026, tied the blockade to the outcome of the talks: it would continue “until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100 per cent complete.”
Trump had greeted the reopening warmly. “The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage,” he wrote, thanking Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states for their mediation. He also claimed Iran had agreed to “never close the Strait of Hormuz again.” Then came the caveat. He expected a quick finish, he said, since “most of the points are already negotiated.”
Open, with conditions
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had described the waterway as “completely open” for the length of the ceasefire, with ships following routes set by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation. Iranian state media added a condition of its own, reported by The National: the arrangement would be “void” if Washington kept its naval blockade.
The transit rules were strict. Vessels had to be strictly commercial, military passage stayed barred, and ships tied to countries Iran considers hostile were excluded. Kpler, the data firm, found that traffic through the strait remained confined to corridors needing Iranian approval. About 20% of the world’s oil moves through the waterway.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the continuing blockade a breach of the ceasefire and warned: “No leniency will be shown in this regard.”
Blockade started Monday
Trump had imposed the blockade earlier in the week, saying Iran had violated a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire. He said it would “remain in full force” until Tehran agreed to a deal that included nuclear concessions. U.S. Central Command reported turning back 21 Iranian ships since Monday.
Mediators were working on three issues: Iran’s nuclear program, the strait itself, and compensation for wartime damage. Trump said a second round of talks could come over the weekend. “The Iranians want to meet,” he said. Oil prices fell on Friday on hopes the negotiations would advance. The two-week ceasefire was due to end April 22.
Iran reverses course
The optimism lasted a day. On Saturday Iran declared the strait “under full IRGC control and effectively closed at this moment,” according to Fox News, and the Revolutionary Guard warned that any ship approaching would be “considered cooperation with the enemy” and could be targeted. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf had said earlier that the strait “will not remain open” while the blockade continued.
Fox reported that Trump saw no immediate plan to lift the blockade, which it said was costing Iran about $435 million a day.
Sources
- Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz as U.S. blockade remains
- Trump and Araghchi announce reopening of Hormuz
- Iran threatens to close strait if blockade stays
- Iran reverses course on reopening Strait of Hormuz, signals warning to US
