Iran war: Strait of Hormuz open amid Israel-Lebanon truce

In his first speech since a ceasefire was agreed between Lebanon and Israel, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that further talks to secure a lasting peace with Israel would not compromise Lebanon's sovereignty.

"Now, we all stand before a new phase," Aoun said, adding that "it is the phase of transition from working on a ceasefire to working on permanent agreements that preserve the rights of our people, the unity of our land, and the sovereignty of our nation."

He insisted that the talks with Israel are "not a sign of weakness nor a concession... negotiations do not mean, and will never mean, giving up any right, conceding any principle, or compromising the sovereignty of this nation."

"We are confident that we will save Lebanon... we have reclaimed Lebanon and Lebanon's decision-making power for the first time in nearly half a century," and in reference to Iran's influence over Lebanon through Hezbollah, he added "today, we negotiate for ourselves... we are no longer a pawn in anyone's game, nor an arena for anyone's wars, and we never will be again."

"I hereby affirm... that there will be no agreement that infringes upon our national rights, diminishes the dignity of our steadfast people, or relinquishes an iota of this nation's soil."

Welcoming the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted that it must be unconditional.

"This must be arranged in full compliance with international maritime law, in such a way that there are no restrictions whatsoever," Merz said in Paris following a summit with other European leaders.

They had been meeting to discuss an international mission to secure shipping in the strait after the conflict ends. Germany has repeatedly offered to support such a mission.

Merz also stressed that the strait must reopen "reliably, permanently and without [requesting] payments of any kind," referencing the Iranian proposal that it could charge ships passing through.

An Israeli strike killed one person in southern Lebanon on Friday, Lebanese media reported, despite the beginning of a ceasefire between the two countries.

"A motorcyclist was killed in the town of Kunin, in the Bint Jbeil district, after being targeted by an enemy drone," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported.

Reuters reported that the report of the strike came in just minutes after President Trump said Israel was "PROHIBITED" from bombing Lebanon anymore, in a post on social media.

According to the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is allowed to target Hezbollah to prevent "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks." Israel also said it would maintain a 10-kilometer (6-mile) security buffer zone along the border.

Trump has continued with a spate of posts amid what he called a "GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD!"

Firstly, he said the US and Iran were working together on removing mines in the strait laid by Iran.

"Iran, with the help of the U.S.A., has removed, or is removing, all sea mines!" he posted on his Truth Social platform.

He then said that Iran would not close the strait again.

"Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!"

Neither of these claims could be immediately verified from the Iranian side. Throughout the war, Washington and Tehran have repeatedly contradicted each other.

Germany has also repeated its offer to provide support to an international mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking after the summit hosted by France and the UK in Paris, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country could offer reconnaissance and mine clearing.

"I ​require ‌a decision by the federal government, a mandate from ‌the German  Bundestag and a ‌sound ​military concept," Merz said.

"We will therefore ​take part in the further ​military planning discussions ‌that are taking place and would also ​like to ⁠see the United States of America ⁠participate, ​if possible. We believe this would be desirable," he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have welcomed the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying they will go ahead with a military planning meeting next week for an international mission to secure maritime security.

The two leaders hosted a summit with some 50 countries earlier in the day, with Macron saying "we all demand the full, immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by all parties."

Starmer responded to the announcement that the Strait of Hormuz is being reopened by saying it must be "lasting," adding that the UK and France will lead a safeguarding mission "as soon as conditions allow."

However, in yet another post on Truth Social, Trump said he was not interested in NATO support now.

"Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!" he wrote, in reference to his rejected requests for support earlier in the war.

Trump followed up his post celebrating the opening of the Strait of Hormuz with another rambling post.

He first appeared to deny reports that the US had been considering a cash-for-uranium exchange to remove Iran's nuclear material.

"The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear “Dust,” created by our great B2 Bombers - No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form," he said on his Truth Social platform.

He then went on to discuss Lebanon, where a ceasefire deal with Israel came into effect on Friday.

"This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah [sic] situation in an appropriate manner."

Before finally vowing that "Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer."

"They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!" he added.

Oil prices dropped by over 11% after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the rest of its truce with the United States.

Brent crude oil, which serves as a global benchmark for prices, plunged by $11.12 to $88.27 a barrel at 1311 UTC.

Analysts have argued that markets are reacting to a sign of deescalation between the warring parties.

"Comments from Iran's foreign minister indicate a deescalation as long as the ceasefire is in ‌place, now we need to see also if ‌the number of tankers crossing the Strait increases substantially," Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at Swiss financial giant UBS, was cited by Reuters news agency as saying.

Some 20% of global oil deliveries pass through the crucial waterway.

While a two-week US-Iran ceasefire went into effect on April 8, Tehran argued that Washington ally Israel's continued offensive in Lebanon constituted a violation of the truce.

On Thursday, Israel reached a 10-day ceasefire deal with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Trump threatens continued blockade

However, US President Donald Trump stressed that the United States' naval blockade of Iranian ports would stay in force until Washington reaches a deal with Tehran in a social media post issued after Araghchi's announcement.

"THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS AND FULL PASSAGE, BUT THE NAVAL BLOCKADE WILL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS IT PERTAINS TO IRAN, ONLY, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE," Trump said in the post on his Truth Social platform.

He said that the negotiation process would proceed swiftly and that Washington and Tehran had already agreed on most points in talks.

The United States and Iran engaged in talks on April 11-12 in Islamabad, Pakistan, which resulted in no apparent breakthrough.

The UN has said Israeli attacks on Gaza between October 2023 and the end of 2025 had resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 women and girls.

The Gaza Health Ministry has put the estimated total death toll from the war with Israel at 72,000, a number that continues to rise amid sporadic Israeli attacks despite a declared ceasefire.

This means that more than half of the victims of Israeli attacks were women and girls.

UN Women said that a further 11,000 women and girls had been left with debilitating, lifelong injuries.

The war has impacted women in other ways, with the Israeli blockade stopping access to menstrual products and leaving women having to give birth in tents without proper medical equipment.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran was "completely" reopening the Strait of Hormuz for the rest of the ceasefire period.

"In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic [Republic] of Iran," Araghchi said in a post on the platform X.

Tehran effectively closed the crucial waterway, through which a large portion of the world's energy deliveries passes, on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched their war with Iran.

Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz as part of a two-week ceasefire with Washington that started on April 8, but contentions remained on whether the truce included Lebanon.

Israel reached a 10-day ceasefire deal with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group on Thursday.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel could continue its ground invasion and aerial bombardment of Lebanon after the end of a 10-day ceasefire period.

"The ground maneuver into Lebanon and the strikes on Hezbollah have achieved many gains, but they are still not complete," Katz said in a statement.

He described the 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon as a "temporary freeze" and said Israel would stick to its war aim of disarming the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militant group.

Katz said that a "significant diplomatic lever" had emerged in the goal of dismantling Hezbollah with the help of the United States by "applying pressure on the Lebanese government."

He said that residents of southern Lebanon and Beirut who had to flee their homes amid the fighting could be forced to evacuate again.

"If the fighting resumes, those residents who return to the security zone will have to be evacuated to allow completion of the mission," the Israeli minister said.

Thursday Israeli air strikes on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre killed at least 13 people, multiple news agencies reported on Friday.

Lebanon's official NNA news agency said that around 35 people were injured in the attacks and 15 people were still missing under the rubble.

Israel launched the strikes just before a 10-day ceasefire with Israel went into effect at midnight local time (2100 UTC) on Thursday.

French news agency AFP reported that the strikes targeted six residential buildings that were destroyed, citing a city official.

Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are to discuss efforts to bring the war between the United States and Israel and Iran to an end on the sidelines of a summit in the coastal Turkish city of Antalya.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to address the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Friday.

The timeline of the meeting between the four major Muslim-majority states has not been announced.

Earlier this week, Erdogan called for the current ceasefire period to be utilized for intensified diplomatic efforts.

"We are making the necessary efforts to reduce tensions, extend the ceasefire, and continue the negotiations," Erdogan told a party conference of his ruling conservative AKP.

"Negotiations cannot take place with clenched fists. Weapons must not be allowed to speak again instead of words. The window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must be fully utilized."

It comes after US-Iranian talks in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, with Washington saying a second round of talks is likely.

Turkey is a member of the US-led NATO military alliance and is also a major trade partner of Iran, a country it borders.

Two Iranian soccer players who were granted refuge in Australia thanked the country for its support.

"We wish to express our deepest gratitude to the Australian government, and particularly Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, for granting us humanitarian protection and a safe haven in this beautiful country," the two members of Iran's women's national soccer team said in a joint statement published by Australian public broadcaster ABC.

"The compassion and support shown to us during this challenging time has provided us with hope for a future where we can live and compete in safety," they said.

The two athletes stressed that they were "not yet ready to speak publicly" about the ordeal and called for privacy and space from the media.

Australia granted asylum to seven team members after they did not sing the Iranian national anthem at a March 2 match against South Korea in the Gold Coast, Australia, sparking concerns for their safety if they return to Iran.

Five of the members granted asylum ultimately withdrew their request and opted to go back to Iran.

Jet fuel disruptions caused by the United States and Israel's war with Iran could soon lead to a reduction in available flights over the summer, the German Aviation Association (BDL) warned.

"The summer season is just around the corner, and the tourism ecosystem depends on air travel for incoming and outgoing tourists during the peak travel and business season," BDL chief Joachim Lang was cited by German news agency DPA as saying.

The association is made up of German airlines and airport operators.

BDL said that over 80 facilities across the Middle East have been partially and severely damaged.

Analysts warn that energy markets are likely to recover slowly in the event of an end to the war.

The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, also warned of jet fuel shortages by the end of May in comments to Italian newspaper La Stampa on Friday.