Oil tankers move by means of Strait of Hormuz as Britain vows robust navy contribution and Trump says peace deal ‘very shut’: dwell updates

A convoy of oil tankers has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, vessel tracking data shows, after Iran declared the waterway ‘completely open’.

But Tehran warned it could shut the Strait of Hormuz again if the United States continues its blockade of Iranian ports, raising fresh fears over the vital global trade route.

MarineTraffic data showed several vessels moving through the channel, including tankers carrying oil, liquefied petroleum gas and chemicals.

The potential resumption of transit had lifted stock markets on Friday and prompted optimism in Washington, with President Donald Trump saying a broader US-Iran peace deal was ‘very close’.

Lebanon has proven to be the crucial element to securing renewed passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah enters its second day.

There was initial confusion when the ceasefire with Iran came into force, with Tehran insisting the agreement included Lebanon, while the US and Israel said it didn’t.

Now that a temporary end to the fighting has been enacted in the country, Iran has finally declared the Strait of Hormuz ‘completely open’.

It has pointed directly to the agreement in Lebanon for the end to its blockade, although says a similar move by the US to stop Iranian vessels travelling through the shipping lane must end.

US President Donald Trump claims Iran has agreed to ‘never’ block the route again, although Iran disputes this.

Donald Trump ridiculed as ‘useless’ a planned British-led military taskforce to patrol the Strait of Hormuz.

As Iran declared the waterway ‘completely open’, Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron on Friday said they would send warships to keep it safe.

But while the US President welcomed Tehran’s announcement, he mocked NATO countries offering to send military assets.

He wrote: ‘Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!’

It came as 49 leaders, including Sir Keir and Macron, held a summit in Paris on Friday to discuss how to re-open the strait.

The Strait of Hormuz might have been declared ‘completely open’, but the situation remains fragile amid an ongoing blockade of Iranian vessels by US troops.

Iran warned that if US warships intercept vessels coming from Iranian ports, the key global trade artery through which about a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes could be closed again.

‘With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open,’ parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X, adding that passage through the waterway would require authorization from Iran.

According to the latest data, the US has turned around 21 ships since Monday.

President Donald Trump has said that the blockade will continue until a full peace deal is reached.

Iran has attempted to impose conditions on ships that are now travelling through the strait, including taking only pre-approved routes.

Good morning and welcome to the Daily Mail’s live blog.

We’ll be bringing all the latest updates on the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz throughout the day.