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19-04-2026
TEHRAN/ WASHINGTON: Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz “completely open” for the 10-day period of the Lebanon ceasefire, but said ships would have to use a “coordinated route.”
Military and diplomatic analyst Alexandru Hudisteanu told media that this route would take ships into Iran’s territorial waters, giving Tehran a chance to keep its finger on the trigger.
“The parties are not trusting each other so they are not going to want to leave their pressure levers out of their hands,” Hudisteanu said, adding that the US was similarly maintaining its blockade in place.
The analyst described the current phase as a “trust-building process” for Iran and the US, as well as for the maritime world as it assesses the risk of resuming traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
‘10,000 troops enforcing Iran blockade’
The Central Command (CENTCOM) of the US military shares a photo from an aircraft carrier that it said is participating in laying a naval siege on Iran.
“Over 10,000 US Sailors, Marines, and Airmen are enforcing the blockade against ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports and coastal areas,” it said.
Trump said earlier that the blockade would continue despite the Iran’s announcement that the Strait of Hormuz is now open to commercial vessels.
Lebanon ceasefire holds
United States President Donald Trump stresses that the ceasefire in Lebanon is a separate issue from the potential deal with Iran, saying Israel is “prohibited” from bombing the country.
Iran’s Foreign Minister says “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.”
Iranian news outlets suggest that ships will have to coordinate with Tehran and follow a designated path to cross Hormuz. Hezbollah says the 10-day truce in Lebanon must be a prelude to full Israeli withdrawal from the south of the country.
Visit our live tracker for the latest casualty figures from across the region.
Iran’s enriched uranium will be brought to US: Trump
US president has claimed that Tehran and Washington will jointly recover Iran’s highly enriched uranium from bombed-out nuclear facilities.
“We’re going to get it together,” Trump told media. “We’re going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and start excavating with big machinery … We’ll bring it back to the United States.”
Iranian officials have not confirmed the details of the potential agreement with the US. Tehran has previously stressed that it will not give up its right to uranium enrichment.
Lebanese PM vows full control of Beirut
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said his government will take full control of the Beirut Governorate, which includes the capital and restrict arms to state forces only.
In a post on social media, Salam added that the move was intended to “safeguard the safety, security, and property of citizens”. He said the decision is “irrevocable and will be strictly enforced”.
Critics say the Lebanese Armed Forces already control all areas of Beirut and that Hezbollah has no visible military presence in the capital.
Some of Salam’s opponents have argued that the government’s announcement that it would disarm Hezbollah in the capital could provide an excuse for Israel’s deadly attacks on Beirut. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
