TOI correspondent from Washington: The Hormuz horror that was choking energy supplies to much of the world is ending, following a deal between Washington and Tehran that US President Donald Trump said is imminent.
Contours of the deal - said to involve Iran giving up its enriched uranium in return for unspecified rewards, including financial incentives - are still sketchy. But both Washington and Tehran, in their own way, announced the Strait is now open.
In a barrage of social media posts that underscored his penchant for public diplomacy and grandstanding, Trump, latching on to an announcement by the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi said "the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage."
It was not clear if he deliberately referred to Hormuz Strait as "Strait of Iran," but the US President went way beyond Tehran's announcement in claiming that "Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!"
In his post on X, Araghchi said that "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, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran."
It was not clear if he was referring only to the ceasefire in Lebanon or the ceasefire between US/Israel and Iran, but both sides appeared to be drawing close to a deal, leading Trump to claim it is a "great and brilliant day for the world."
Trump also said Iran, with the help of the USA, "has removed, or is removing, all sea mines," - a claim that seemed to have some basis given Araghchi's reference to a "coordinated route."
