After weeks of threats to choke off one of the world’s most critical energy routes, Iran appears to be backing away from its most dramatic escalation. The government in Tehran now says the Strait of Hormuz—long feared as the flashpoint that could ignite a global energy crisis—remains open to most of the world’s shipping.
The exception, Iranian officials say, applies only to vessels connected to the United States and Israel, writes The New York Post.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the announcement Saturday during an interview with MS NOW, declaring that Tehran has not imposed a full blockade of the narrow maritime corridor through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies typically pass.
“The Strait of Hormuz is open,” Araghchi said, adding that transit would be denied only to ships belonging to Iran’s “enemies” and their allies, specifically identifying the United States and Israel. Other nations’ vessels, he said, are free to pass safely.
The statement marks a notable shift in tone following recent U.S. airstrikes against Iranian facilities. Less than a day earlier, American forces struck military targets on Kharg Island, the central hub for Iran’s oil export system and the departure point for roughly 90 percent of the country’s crude shipments. U.S. officials said the strikes were aimed at military infrastructure rather than the oil terminals themselves.
For weeks, analysts had warned that Iran might attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz entirely—an action that would have sent shockwaves through global energy markets and risked drawing regional powers into open conflict.
Instead, Tehran’s message now appears calibrated: rhetorical defiance directed at Washington and Israel, paired with practical reassurance to the rest of the world.
Araghchi insisted that Iran has not created an official maritime blockade and blamed hesitancy among shipping companies on broader security fears rather than any Iranian restrictions.
Some vessels are already testing those assurances. Indian shipping authorities reported that two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas successfully crossed the strait early Saturday without incident and are now en route to India.
That traffic suggests a reality far short of the sweeping shutdown once threatened by Iranian hardliners.
The shift comes amid mounting pressure from Washington. President Donald Trump has warned Tehran that further interference with global shipping could trigger additional strikes against Iran’s energy sector. The administration has also called on allied nations to deploy naval forces to help guarantee freedom of navigation through the strait.
Meanwhile, maritime security monitors continue to track sporadic attacks and harassment of vessels throughout the Gulf region, contributing to elevated insurance costs and volatile oil prices.
Yet the strategic picture now emerging is one of restraint rather than escalation. By keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to most international traffic, Iran appears to be signaling that it is unwilling—or unable—to risk the economic and military consequences of a full closure.
The waterway remains the most important energy chokepoint on Earth, linking the oil-rich Persian Gulf to global markets through a narrow shipping lane between Iran and Oman. Any sustained disruption would ripple immediately through global energy prices.
