President Trump Declares “Blockade Will Remain”

The Strait of Hormuz is open, markets are up, and a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is holding, but President Trump says the blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place – at least for now.

What this means for global stability, the status of looming threats that could disrupt fragile progress, and future U.S. strategy in the region – not only in regards to the geopolitical stakes, but in terms of economic impact – remains to be seen. But we’re already witnessing positive effects.

As reported by The New York Times:

The Strait of Hormuz is open for all commercial ships after the agreement of a cease-fire in Lebanon, Iran and the United States said on Friday.

Oil prices dropped soon after the announcement, though Iran said ships would have to take a “coordinated route” that runs close to Iran’s coast.

According to a statement from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi:

In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

President Trump echoed this – to a degree – on Truth Social:

THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS AND FULL PASSAGE, BUT THE NAVAL BLOCKADE WILL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS IT PERTAINS TO IRAN, ONLY, UNTIL SUCH A TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE. THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.

So the Strait of Hormuz is open, at least for the duration of the ceasefire, for all commercial traffic that doesn’t include Iran ports, but President Trump is standing firm that the U.S. blockade will remain in place.

How did this happen? Yesterday the President announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. We also know that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon are planning to meet at the White House, for the first time in 35 years, to continue talks about what to do about Hezbollah, which is huge. When did you ever think you’d hear that Lebanon and Israel would be getting together for anything?

That Lebanon’s military would be willing to work with the Israeli military is almost unheard of. But it certainly seems better for both countries. Perhaps working together, they can avoid unnecessary casualties.

It also seems the Lebanese are not as afraid of Iran as they might have been before, making them more amenable to working with Israel without fear of retribution. And now you’re even hearing whispers that the Saudis are considering using Israeli ports on the Mediterranean to move their oil. What we’re watching unfold feels like a true remaking of the Middle East.

These new partnerships with the Israelis are starting to spring up again because of this action in Iran. While still in their infancy, we hope they will hold. And Trump’s blockade clearly played a major role, letting those who feared Iran know we were there as a deterrent to violence. That’s likely why Trump is keeping it in place, even with a temporary ceasefire, at least until a more permanent solution is reached. It’s far too early to let our guard down. History has shown it time and time again that Iran often struggles to stick to its agreements.

But for now, the fighting has stopped, ships are passing safely, and we’re already seeing oil prices dropping.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of the announcements that, yes, the Strait of Hormuz is open, but the U.S. military blockade is staying in place. We were also joined by ACLJ Senior Counsel Jeff Ballabon, head of ACLJ Jerusalem, with his reaction to this latest news.

Watch the full broadcast below: