Iran Parliament speaker Ghalibaf warns Strait of Hormuz access needs Iran approval

Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, MB Ghalibaf, in a social media post wrote, "The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false. They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either. With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open. Passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be conducted based on the "designated route" and with "Iranian authorization." Whether the Strait is open or closed and the regulations governing it will be determined by the field, not by social media."

Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz, but threatens to close it again as US maintains its blockade

Iran said it fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels, but questions lingered Saturday about how much freedom ships actually had to transit the waterway as Tehran maintained its grip on who got through and threatened to close it again if the US kept in place its blockade of Iranian ships and ports.

Iran's Friday announcement about the opening of the crucial body of water, through which 20 per cent of the world's oil is shipped, came as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon appeared to hold.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said the American blockade "will remain in full force" until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear program.

Asked by a reporter Friday night what he will do if there's no deal when the ceasefire expires next week, Trump said, "I don't know. ... But maybe I won't extend it, so you'll have a blockade, and unfortunately we'll have to start dropping bombs again." But he also told reporters accompanying him aboard Air Force One to Washington that a deal is "going to happen," and flatly rejected the idea of restrictions or tolls by Iran on the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump had earlier celebrated the Iranian announcement, posting on social media that the strait was "fully open and ready for full passage." But minutes later, he issued another post saying the US Navy's blockade would continue "UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100 PER CENT COMPLETE."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that ships would use routes designated by the Islamic Republic in coordination with Iranian authorities, suggesting Iran planned to retain some level of control over the channel. It was not clear if vessels would have to pay tolls.

Iranian officials said the blockade was a violation of last week's ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US The Strait "will not remain open" if the blockade continues, Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, posted on X early Saturday.

A data firm, Kpler, said movement through the strait remained confined to corridors requiring Iran's approval.

US forces have sent 21 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, US Central Command said on X.

Trump says China's Xi is 'very happy' about Strait of Hormuz reopening

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping was "very happy" about the status of the Strait of Hormuz, and that he looked forward to their meeting in China.

"President Xi is very happy that the Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening," Trump said on Truth Social. "Our meeting in China will be a special one and, potentially, Historic. I look forward to being with President Xi — Much will be accomplished!," he added.

Trump, without elaborating, cites 'some pretty good news' on Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday there had been some "pretty good news" regarding Iran but he declined to elaborate.

"We had some pretty good news 20 minutes ago, but it seems to be going very well in the Middle East with Iran," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

"You'll hear about. I just think it's something that should happen. It's something that only makes sense to happen. And I think it will. We'll see what happens, but I think it will," Trump said when asked what the good news was.

We are negotiating over the weekend... The blockade has been very successful: Trump

US president Donald Trump interacts with the press onboard Air Force One while en route to Joint Base Andrews. He says, "We are negotiating over the weekend. And as you know, we have the blockade. The blockade has been very successful... So we're going to know very shortly. But we're talking over, I expect things to go well. Many of these things have been negotiated and agreed to."  

Trump says Iran ceasefire may end if no deal reached by Wednesday

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he may end the ceasefire with Iran unless a long-term deal to end the war is agreed by Wednesday.

"Maybe I won't extend it, but the blockade (on Iranian ports) is going to remain," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on his way back to Washington from Phoenix, Arizona. "So you have a blockade, and unfortunately we have to start dropping bombs again."

Trump says no money will change hands in any Iran deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that no money will change hands as part of a deal being negotiated to end the war in Iran.

Iraq resumes southern oil exports after month-long halt due to Hormuz disruption

Iraq resumed southern oil exports on Friday after a halt of more than a month caused by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with one tanker beginning to load crude, four energy sources said.

The Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I has anchored off Iraq's southern oil terminals and is set to load about 2 million barrels of Basra crude, Iraqi ports and energy sources said on Friday. The vessel entered the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday in a second attempt to transit the waterway, after being among several tankers that tried to enter on Sunday during the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, the data showed.

The tanker is bound for Vietnam's Nghi Son refinery and is expected to load crude at Iraq's southern ports, according to shipping data and trade sources.

In addition to the Agios Fanourios I, another tanker is expected to arrive at Iraq's southern export terminals within two days, two oil terminal officials said. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the U.S.-brokered 10-day truce that was reached on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon to halt fighting between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Trump says not too many significant differences with Iran

 U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he does not think there are too many significant differences with Iran remaining, adding that talks will continue over the weekend.

US lends 26.03 million barrels of SPR oil in third batch since Iran war

The U.S. Department of Energy said on Friday it had loaned26.03 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to nine oil companies, the third allotment under the Trump administration's effort to curb fuel prices that have surged since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The Trump administration agreed in March to release 172 million barrels from the SPR in a coordinated move with the International Energy Agency to draw down 400 million barrels in an effort to control fuel prices that spiked due to the war.

The U.S. has so far offered 126 million barrels in three batches in the form of loans from the SPR, with energy companies required to pay back the crude with extra barrels as interest. Energy companies have signed deals to borrow nearly 80 million barrels, or more than 63% of what the administration offered.

Companies awarded the SPR loans in the third batch include BP Products North America, ExxonMobil Oil Corp and Marathon Petroleum, the DOE said. (

Saudi Arabia and U.S. discuss keeping Strait of Hormuz open, Saudi state news agency

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince​Faisal bin Farhan and U.S. Secretary of ‌State Marco Rubio, during a phone call, discussed efforts to ensure the continued opening of the Strait of Hormuz and consolidate the ceasefire in Lebanon, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Friday. 

Ukraine's Zelenskiy calls for joint efforts to set up Hormuz mission

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Friday for joint efforts for an effective mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and said Kyiv's wartime experience in the Black Sea could help.

"Decisions made regarding Hormuz now will determine how other aggressive actors perceive the possibility of creating problems in other straits and on other fronts," Zelenskiy said in remarks to a video conference attended by 50 countries and chaired by France and Britain.

"We need to be as specific and clear as possible so that in six months we don't find ourselves in the same situation as in Gaza, where much still needs to be done."

"In Hormuz, there are security challenges that cannot be addressed by political decisions alone," he added, without elaborating.

Zelenskiy, whose remarks appeared on the Telegram messaging app, said that in the course of four years of war with Russia, Ukraine had "already carried out a very similar mission in the Black Sea".

"Russia also attempted to blockade our sea and we have experience in escorting merchant vessels, demining, defending against air attacks and the overall coordination of such operations," he said.

Ukraine, he said, had sent specialists throughout the Middle East to help countries benefit from its experience in defending against Russian drones, many designed in Iran.

"We can also contribute to maritime security," he said.

Ukraine has clinched security cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and says it is In talks with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

A group of ships seen moving from the Gulf, according to ship tracking data

A group of around 20 ships including container ships, bulk carriers and tankers was seen moving in the Gulf towards the exit via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening, ship tracking data showed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday the Strait of Hormuz was open following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.