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The president Donald Trump announced this Friday that the U.S. naval blockade over the Strait of Hormuz will remain fully in effect regarding Iran, even after Tehran declared the complete reopening of the maritime passage.
In a message posted on his network Truth Social, Trump was clear: "The Strait of Hormuz is fully open and ready for traffic and full passage, but the naval blockade will remain fully in effect regarding Iran, solely, until our transaction with Iran is 100% complete."
The president added that the process should move "very quickly" because "most of the points have already been negotiated," indicating that the talks with Tehran are in an advanced stage.
Minutes earlier, Trump had published a first message celebrating the Iranian announcement, although with a notable geographical error: he wrote that "the Strait of Iran is completely open and ready for free circulation," using the incorrect term "Strait of Iran" instead of "Strait of Hormuz."
The announcement came in response to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who declared that same Friday the complete reopening of the strait to all commercial vessels for the remainder of the ceasefire period.
"In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage of all merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared fully open for the remainder of the ceasefire period," Araqchi stated, indicating that the vessels must follow the "coordinated and already announced" route with the Iranian Port and Maritime Organization.
However, Trump made it clear that the opening declared by Tehran does not lift the U.S. naval blockade, which exclusively affects vessels originating from or destined for Iranian ports.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported this Friday on X that since the beginning of the blockade, 19 vessels have complied with orders to turn back and return to Iranian ports, and that no ship has been able to evade U.S. forces.
The destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) was one of the ships that carried out these interception operations, documented by CENTCOM itself. In the video, a Navy officer can be heard ordering the merchant vessel "Blue Sky 4": "I request that you return to your port of origin in Iran."
The naval blockade was ordered by Trump on April 12, effective from April 13, following the failure of the negotiations in Islamabad, where the U.S. delegation -led by JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner- failed to reach an agreement with Iran after more than 20 hours of talks.
The U.S. demanded the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and a 20-year moratorium on uranium enrichment; Iran offered only five years and requested $270 billion in compensation.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital route that transports approximately 20% of the world's oil.
When Iran closed it on March 4 in retaliation for Operation Epic Fury—the joint attack by the U.S. and Israel against Iranian nuclear facilities—the price of Brent crude skyrocketed from $67 to over $126 per barrel.
On April 16, Trump had already indicated that Iran "wants a deal" and that many of the 15 points have already been agreed upon, including the permanent prohibition of nuclear weapons, suggesting that a final agreement could be near if the negotiations conclude satisfactorily.
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