After the ceasefire in Lebanon, Iran fully opens the Strait of Hormuz
Iran announced on Friday that it would "fully" open the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire period, following the formal cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia.
Following five weeks of war that severely disrupted the global economy, global crude oil prices immediately dropped by 10% after Iran’s announcement, and European stock markets rebounded rapidly.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi posted on the X platform: "Given the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, all commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz will be fully open for transit during the remaining duration of the truce." However, according to reports from Iranian state television, military vessels "remain prohibited from passage."
"Thank you!" U.S. President Trump promptly responded on his "Truth" platform with a series of posts, unilaterally claiming that Iran has pledged "never to blockade the Strait of Hormuz again."
With the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah taking effect, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that the country is no longer "a battlefield for anyone." Trump stated that the U.S. has "explicitly forbidden Israel from bombing Lebanon."
To reach the final agreement, negotiations continue under the mediation of Pakistan, aiming to organize a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington—following their first meeting over the weekend in Islamabad. At that time, Iran had demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon as a precondition for holding further negotiations.
Trump assured AFP on Friday that an agreement with Iran is "within reach," stating there are now "no obstacles" between Washington and Tehran.
He said: "We are very close. This appears poised to be extremely positive for everyone. We are about to reach an agreement!"
However, Trump made clear that the upcoming agreement with Iran is unrelated to the one between Israel and Lebanon. He stated: "The U.S. will work separately with Lebanon and handle the Hezbollah issue appropriately."
At the same time, the U.S. president explicitly affirmed: "Israel will no longer bomb Lebanon." He wrote: "The U.S. has clearly forbidden them from doing so. Enough!"
Regardless, this marks the first temporary ceasefire across all fronts since the U.S.-Israel air strikes against Iran on February 28.
Before the official ceasefire, many displaced people ignored warnings from the Israeli government and returned to their homes in southern Lebanon or the southern suburbs of Beirut.
After a conflict lasting one and a half months, the ceasefire officially took effect at 21:00 GMT on Thursday. The fighting resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths within Lebanon and displaced over 1 million people.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1862756268112903/
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