When the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared yesterday the Strait of Hormuz was open, an exasperated President Donald Trump tweeted, in a series of posts on TruthSocial, “Thank You!” not just to Iran, but also Pakistan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and so on. The Peace President. Beloved by all.
He also berated, once again, Western allies in Nato, the paper tiger. Look for yourself, it’s too tedious to link to each and every tweet by Donald Trump.
But Iran is playing just chess, making smart moves.
Actually, Araghchi wrote, on X,
“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 Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran.”
So, provided the fragile cease-fire in Lebanon holds, commercial vessels can pass, but only through the coordinated route, i.e. the narrow strait between Qeshm and Larak. As was the case before!
If Araghchi can declare, with just a tweet, the end of the blockade, it is highly unlikely that Iran has even deployed any sea mine in the street. That tankers, cruise ships etc. would not dare to pass the 33 km wide Strait is just psychological warfare. Iran has just bluffed, probably.
Of course, it is certainly possible that, early in the unprovoked US/Israeli war, a few dozen mines (among stockpiles of thousands of mines) had actually been dropped by Iran. Moreover, modern sea mines may be switched on and off. So now, off.
In the meantime, the first cruising ship which had anchored in Dubai has left the Persian Gulf, see the above tweet by MarineTraffic. Passengers had been flown out before.
Trump of course noted that not so much has changed, in particular Iran did not surrender to Trump’s demands. In another tweet he cautioned Iran, as usual in capital letters.
“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. THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! PRESIDENT DONALD J.TRUMP”
It is hoped that negotiations will continue and the cease-fire maintains.
Iran will offer its nuclear “dust” to the US and Israel which is no longer usable anyway, as it is probably buried deep underground near Isfahan after numerous attacks.
A strategically minded “smart” Iran may abandon its entire nuclear program in order to survive as a regime, now completely ruled by the Pasdaran. From the ashes will rise a military dictatorship and police state sans mullahs. So, making things for the populace massively worse.
As the strait has been shown to be of greater value than even its nuclear program, Iran may insist on charging a toll for passage through the Strait of Hormuz (at least for its narrow part close to Iran’s shores, between Qeshm and Larak). After all, the enormous damage to the infrastructure caused by the unprovoked and illegal war must be repaired. Sanctions may even be liftet.
Nobody is interested in a global economic crisis, the doom of the glittering metropolises on the Arabian shores of the Persian Gulf. Trump is not interested in the end of the fossil fuel era.
Is this the beginning of a deeper friendship between two arch enemies for 47 years?
18 April 2026 @ 10:23 UTC+2.
Last modified April 18, 2026.