Ships crossing Hormuz need OK from IRGC, unfreezing funds part of deal, Iran official says
Written by: Parisa Hafezi and Jonathan Saul
DUBAI/LONDON, April 17 (Reuters) – All ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz but this must be coordinated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a senior Iranian official told Reuters, adding that freezing Iranian funds was part of the agreement.
While Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote in X that the strait was opened after the ceasefire agreement was signed in Lebanon, US President Donald Trump said that he believed that an agreement to end the Iran war would be realized “soon”, although the timing remained uncertain.
Hundreds of ships and 20,000 sailors are stranded in the Gulf waiting to pass through the crucial waterway that handles about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows.
The Iranian official said that passages will be limited to lanes that Iran deems safe and that military ships are still prohibited from passing the strait.
“The release of Iran’s funds was part of the agreement to reopen the strait,” the official said, referring to an estimated $30 billion in frozen revenues, mainly from oil and gas exports, blocked by U.S. sanctions on Tehran.
It was not immediately clear whether this included the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) lanes created for entering and exiting the Gulf, which have been used by international shipping since the 1970s.
“Even US ships will be allowed, except military ships,” he said.
The official added that certain routes via Hormuz will remain open, but they must be determined as safe by Iran.
“The cruise will be carried out in coordination with Iran and with the permission of the Guard and the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization to ensure the safety of shipping,” the official said.
Shortly after Araqchi’s statement, US President Donald Trump shared the following post on Truth Social: “IRAN ANNOUNCED THAT THE PERSIAN STRAIT IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR PASSAGE”.
Trump added that the US military blockade of ships going to and coming from Iranian ports through the strait, which was announced after the talks with Iran in Pakistan last weekend and ended without an agreement, continues.
Iranian state media, citing an unnamed official, said that if the US blockade continues, Tehran will consider it a violation of the ceasefire and will close the strait again.
Under proposals made by Tehran in talks with the United States, Iran could allow ships to pass freely through the strait without risk of attack from Oman, provided an agreement is reached to prevent new clashes, a source briefed in Tehran told Reuters this week.
MINE THREAT
Iran has warned of mines placed in the strait, a threat taken seriously by ship owners, insurers and cargo shipping companies.
This threat is not fully understood and ships should consider avoiding the area, a U.S. Navy adviser said Friday.
“The status of the TSS mine threat is not fully understood. Consider avoiding this area,” the US Navy’s US NCAGS agency said in an advisory sent to sailors and seen by Reuters. he said.
It is not yet clear whether the warning was sent before or after the announcement that the strait would be opened.
Maritime industry associations said they were reviewing the situation.
Jakob Larsen, safety and security officer of maritime union BIMCO, said, “US President Donald Trump’s statement that the Strait of Hormuz is completely open is incorrect. The status of mine threats in the Traffic Separation Plan is unclear.”
“BIMCO believes that shipping companies should consider avoiding the area.”
The UN’s maritime agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), said it was reviewing the situation.
“We are currently confirming the latest announcement regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in terms of freedom of navigation and safe passage for all commercial ships,” said IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.
(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi and Jonathan Saul; editing by Jason Neely)
