In accordance with a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz reopened for commercial ships on Friday, briefly boosting oil markets and inspiring new hope from Washington. However, Tehran swiftly calmed the situation by threatening to close the vital waterway once more if the US continues its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The Hormuz opening was announced on X by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who stated that commercial passage was "declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire" via a coordinated path chosen by Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization. The announcement caused oil prices to plummet, with Brent crude falling more than 8% to almost $90.93 per barrel.

Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a warning on X that "with the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open," adding that Iranian approval would be needed to cross the strait. Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, was more direct: "Iran will undoubtedly respond appropriately to what they refer to as a naval blockade." Iran will undoubtedly take the appropriate action because a naval blockade violates the ceasefire.

Additionally, Baqaei refuted Trump's Truth Social post asserting that the US will retrieve Iran's enriched uranium, alluding to what Trump referred to as "Nuclear Dust" produced by B2 bomber raids last year. According to the Iranian spokesperson, recent discussions have switched the emphasis from the nuclear issue to ending the conflict, with Tehran's top demands now being the easing of sanctions and compensation for war damage.
"The opening and closing of the Strait of Hormuz does not take place on internet, it is determined in the field, and our armed forces certainly know how to behave in response to any action by the other side," Baqaei said in response to Trump's Truth Social post that reaffirmed the naval blockade would remain in place until an agreement was reached.

Additionally, Iran prevented military ships from passing across the channel. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy will have to authorise civilian ships to utilise specific routes, a senior military official told state television.
Speaking to AFP and at an event in Phoenix, Arizona, US President Donald Trump stated that a deal with Iran was "very close" and asserted that Tehran had agreed to turn over its stockpile of enriched uranium. Iran disputes this. "We're going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators," he stated.Additionally, Trump declared that there were "no sticking points at all" remaining in the negotiations and praised Pakistan and its Gulf partners on social media on Saturday, calling it "GREAT AND BRILLIANT".
Iran flatly denied the uranium claim, stating that its enriched stockpile will remain in place. Although he stated that a preliminary agreement could be reached in the coming days and that Tehran was ready to offer guarantees about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program if its demands were met, an Iranian official told Reuters that there were still major differences between the two sides, including on nuclear issues.

Trump, for his part, affirmed that the US naval blockade of Iranian ships and ports would continue "in full force and effect" until a deal was reached, including on the nuclear program.
The ceasefire in Lebanon is unsettling.
The Hormuz breakthrough was also significantly influenced by the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which went into force on Thursday. Iran had demanded that any larger deal include a cease-fire in the war in Lebanon. Families of displaced Lebanese people started to back to their homes in the south of the country and in bomb-damaged south Beirut.But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned that the fight against Hezbollah was "not over," stating that the organization's destruction was still a major goal. Israel threatened to resume military action if Hezbollah fighters were not removed from the region south of the Litani River. Hezbollah declared that it was still prepared to react to any infractions by Israel.
Trump said that Washington had "prohibited" Israel from launching more attacks. Asim Munir, the head of Pakistan's army, met with Ghalibaf in Tehran as part of ongoing efforts to mediate a potential second round of US-Iran negotiations, which Vance is anticipated to spearhead.