TEHRAN — A small number of foreign vessels and oil tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz, Mohammad Akraminia, an Iranian army spokesperson, said. The statement updates traffic through the waterway, which saw disruptions earlier this year during a conflict between Iran and the U.S.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route, was largely blocked by Iran starting Feb. 28, 2026. The action followed an air war launched against Iran by the United States and Israel. Iran's new Guard Corps (IRGC) retaliated by issuing warnings, attacking merchant ships and laying sea mines.
Historically, the strait handles approximately 25 percent of the world's seaborne oil trade and 20 percent of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG). Following the onset of the conflict, the number of tankers transiting the strait dropped to near zero.
On March 27, the IRGC announced the strait was closed to all vessels traveling to and from ports in the U.S. Israel and their allies. By April 21, the International Maritime Organization reported the closure had stranded around 20,000 mariners and 2,000 ships in the Persian Gulf.
The disruption led to a rapid surge in global energy prices. Brent crude oil surpassed $100 per barrel on March 8 for the first time in four years, eventually peaking at $126 per barrel. March 2026 recorded the largest monthly increase in oil prices ever.
The closure marked the largest disruption to world energy supply since the 1970s energy crisis, and the most significant in the history of the world oil market. Commodity markets for aluminum, fertilizer and helium also experienced supply disruptions and price increases.
In late March and early April, President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to destroy Iran's infrastructure if the strait was not reopened. A temporary ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. was agreed on April 8, which included provisions for reopening the waterway.
After the failure of the Islamabad Talks, the U.S. Navy initiated its own blockade of Iranian ports on April 13. The situation evolved into what The Guardian newspaper described as a "dual blockade," with the U.S. Navy blockading Iran and Iran blockading the Gulf.
Iran briefly allowed commercial shipping on April 17 following an Israel–Lebanon ceasefire agreement, but the U.S. maintained its blockade of Iran, prompting Tehran to reimpose restrictions. President Trump launched Operation Project Freedom on May 4, a U.S. Navy mission intended to escort merchant ships out of the Gulf.
Iran's military warned that Project Freedom would violate the existing ceasefire. President Trump paused the operation on May 6, citing "great progress" toward a potential agreement. On June 17, President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding to formally end the war and lift the blockades.
Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf acknowledged that "the enemy managed to get some ships" through Hormuz, while asserting that Iranian forces maintained "complete control of the strait." This aligns with Akraminia's statement regarding limited passage, indicating a nuanced situation in the strait's operational status after the formal end of the conflict.
