The Trump administration said the Strait of Hormuz is reopening to commercial shipping with “no-cost transit” under the U.S.-Iran agreement, according to media reports, though there are signs both sides may still be working through different interpretations of key terms.
President Donald Trump also said Monday he expects the strategic waterway to be “completely open” by Friday as commercial vessels begin moving again through the vital oil chokepoint, AFP reported.
Trump said ships were already transiting the Strait of Hormuz after months of disruption tied to the conflict.
“Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said, adding that he did not “think we will need much help” keeping the route secure, according to AFP.
The remarks follow Washington and Tehran announcing a framework agreement aimed at restoring maritime access and winding down hostilities that had disrupted global energy flows.
AFP reported the reopening would represent a significant step toward stabilizing oil markets after months of volatility driven by war-related blockades and strikes on Iranian infrastructure.
However, differences in interpretation between U.S. and Iranian officials appear to remain over the precise mechanics of the agreement, according to Iranian state media reports, suggesting there may yet be work to be done to ensure all parties are aligned on how the deal’s terms are understood and implemented.
Those differences appear to extend to how shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would be structured in practice, with U.S. officials describing the arrangement as ensuring “no-cost transit,” while Iranian officials and state-linked reporting indicate Tehran envisions a system of maritime service fees or structured transit charges for vessels passing through the waterway.
Iranian messaging has suggested the framework is not simply about toll elimination, but about redefining how passage is managed and compensated, underscoring a potential gap between Washington’s and Tehran’s interpretations.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the agreement brings an “immediate end” to the war but added that additional negotiations would be needed on a final settlement framework.
Iranian officials also said the deal includes follow-on talks over broader economic and security issues, even as they frame the accord as a strategic victory for Tehran.
A senior U.S. administration official said the agreement text had already been signed electronically by Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, according to AFP.
The official said Trump preferred a public signing ceremony in Switzerland on Friday to underscore the agreement’s significance.
Trump described the accord at the G7 summit in France as a “very powerful document” and said it would be released “pretty soon,” AFP reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi struck a more cautious tone, citing past agreements that later unraveled and warning that trust remained a key issue.
The divergence in messaging underscores that while the agreement has been announced, key implementation details still appear to be in flux.
Oil markets reacted positively to the announcement, with prices falling as traders anticipated the reopening of a route that typically carries about one-fifth of global crude shipments, AFP reported, while some analysts voiced hope that the loosening of oil traffic could translate into lower gasoline prices at the pump as soon as one to two weeks from now.