Iran Declares Strait Of Hormuz Open For Safe Passage

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced Wednesday that safe and stable transit through the Strait of Hormuz would be ensured following what it described as the neutralization of aggressor threats, hours after the United States suspended a short-lived naval escort operation through the critical waterway.

In a statement posted on X, the IRGC thanked vessel captains and shipowners in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman for complying with Iran’s Strait of Hormuz regulations. “With aggressor’s threats neutralized and new protocols in place, safe, stable passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be ensured,” the force said.

The IRGC had previously issued guidelines governing passage of what it termed “innocent” ships, while warning it would block any vessels carrying weapons or ammunition bound for American military forces in the region.

The Iranian announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was pausing Project Freedom, the Pentagon-backed naval escort operation aimed at guiding commercial vessels through the critical chokepoint.

The move was a surprising reversal from an administration that had framed the operation just hours earlier as a matter of life or death for nearly 23,000 stranded sailors representing 87 countries. Project Freedom had been operational for barely one day.

Washington expects a response from Tehran within 48 hours on key points of a proposed agreement, with the two sides discussing a one-page memorandum of understanding to set a framework for further negotiations.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Beijing on Wednesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, with China calling a complete cessation of hostilities a matter of “utmost urgency.”

Iranian sources have indicated that broader issues including Tehran’s nuclear programme, missile capabilities, and regional security policies are not currently part of the discussions, with diplomacy focused solely on reopening the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of global oil trade and has been largely closed to commercial shipping since late February.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Trump’s decision on Wednesday, saying it “will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period.”

Oil prices extended their slide on the diplomatic signals, with Brent crude falling more than six percent to approximately $103 a barrel.