Strait of Hormuz open? Iran FM says key oil route closed only to ‘enemies’

Iranian foreign minister said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all countries except its “enemies”- United States and Israel- following US airstrikes on its Kharg Island oil hub.“As a matter of fact, the Strait of Hormuz is open,” FM Abbas Araghchi said.“It is only closed to the tankers and ships belong[ing] to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and their allies. Others are free to pass,” he told MS NOW, as cited by New York Post. “And I can say that the Strait is not closed, but it is only closed to American, Israeli, you know, ships and tankers, and not to others.”Abbas Araghchi added that many ships “prefer” not to undertake the journey due to “security concerns,” but insisted, “this has nothing to do with us.”In a separate post on X, Araghchi criticised the US’ regional security role, saying the “touted U.S. security umbrella has proven to be full of holes and inviting rather than deterring trouble.” He added, “US is now begging others, even China, to help it make Hormuz safe. Iran calls on brotherly neighbors to expel foreign aggressors, especially as their only concern is Israel.”US President Donald Trump called on nations to send warships to keep the Strait open. In a post on Truth Social, he said, “The countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT! The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well.”He added, “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” and expressed hope that China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain, and others would send ships to the area.Earlier, Trump also warned that “In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water,” and said the US is willing to escort ships through the Strait to protect them from Iranian attack.Despite the tensions, two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas crossed the Strait, Reuters reported.

About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the narrow strait between Iran and Oman. Tehran’s ability to block the channel could give it significant leverage over the US and its allies.