The United States launched strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island and President Donald Trump warned that oil infrastructure could be targeted if Tehran did not open the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran’s foreign minister to insist the waterway remains open to most nations while excluding the U.S. and Israel; that response looks more like damage control than confidence, and it reshapes how regional shipping and global markets may react in the coming days.
Trump announced that U.S. strikes took out military sites on Kharg but left oil facilities untouched, and he warned Iran that continued closure of the Strait could draw further action. He also said the United States and other countries would send warships to ensure the Strait remains open, and Marines were reportedly headed to the region. That posture is meant to deter continued Iranian pressure on maritime traffic.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi publicly claimed the Strait “is open” and asserted a carve-out for countries that are not hostile to Tehran. The statement tries to signal normalcy: that only ships of Iran’s declared enemies would be barred. From a Republican perspective, that sounds like a retreat after the U.S. demonstrated willingness to take decisive military steps.
Iran said Saturday that all countries besides the US and Israel may pass through the Strait of Hormuz, in a desperate attempt at coalition busting less than a day after the US bombed military targets on its oil-critical Kharg Island.
“As a matter of fact, the Strait of Hormuz is open,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
“It is only closed to the tankers and ships belong[ing] to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and their allies. Others are free to pass,” Araghchi told MS NOW.
Saying the Strait is open to most countries gives up a lot of leverage that Tehran might have hoped to wield. If Iran really wanted to choke global trade, it would not publicly allow passage to many major Asian buyers. This public concession looks like an attempt to keep pressure from building among nations that depend heavily on Middle Eastern oil.
Araghchi also suggested that security concerns, rather than Iranian actions, were keeping some ships away: “Many ships prefer not to undertake the journey due to ‘security concerns,’ but insisted, ‘this has nothing to do with us.’” That line tries to shift blame to shipping companies and third parties, but it’s a weak pivot when U.S. naval power is visibly in the region. The claim tries to fracture any coalition responding to Iran’s threats.
Araghchi noted that many ships “prefer” not to undertake the journey due to “security concerns,” but insisted, “this has nothing to do with us.”
“And I can say that the Strait is not closed, but it is only closed to American, Israeli, you know, ships and tankers, and not to others.”
Practical effects matter more than rhetoric. The U.S. does not ship a huge volume itself through Hormuz, but Asian economies do, so Iran’s message is meant to calm buyers and prevent a spike in prices. If tankers from India, China, Japan, and South Korea keep transiting, then the global impact will be muted despite the tension.
On Saturday, reports said two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas crossed Hormuz safely and were en route to India, with New Delhi’s shipping minister confirming the transit. That kind of commercial movement undermines dramatic claims of a full blockade and suggests Iran’s ability to choke routes is limited when the international community moves to secure shipping lanes. It’s also evidence that markets may be less jittery if trade appears uninterrupted.
Two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas crossed the Strait, Reuters reported Saturday.
“They crossed the Strait of Hormuz safely early this morning and are en route to India,” Rajesh Kumar Sinha, the minister of ports and shipping in New Delhi, said.
Iran’s officials are also juggling internal questions about the health and visibility of their leadership, offering reassurances that the Supreme Leader is performing duties. “He sent his message yesterday and will perform his duties – he is performing his duties according to the constitution and will continue to do that,” Araghchi said. Such reassurances aim to project stability, but they have not convinced many observers about the leadership’s openness and capability.
“He sent his message yesterday and will perform his duties – he is performing his duties according to the constitution and will continue to do that,” Araghchi added.
From a Republican viewpoint, the quick U.S. action and the public response from Tehran show that firm deterrence works. Iran’s statements read as backpedaling designed to avoid wider confrontation while trying to keep trade partners on board. The coming days will reveal whether Iran’s words match reality on shipping lanes and whether a broader coalition will hold firm behind measures to keep Hormuz open.
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