Despite Iranian Foreign Minister’s announcement on Friday (April 17) about reopening the Strait of Hormuz, allowing safe passage for commercial ships, Danish shipping giant Maersk is still avoiding crossing this important waterway. The company cautiously stated that the decision to navigate the strait will be based on risk assessment and closely monitoring the security situation.
After Iran declared the reopening of the waterway for commercial ships, Maersk stated, “The safety of our crew, vessels, and customers’ cargo remains our top priority.”
“Since the outbreak of (US-Iran) conflict, we have been following the guidance of security partners in the region, and the current recommendation is to avoid crossing the Strait of Hormuz,” Maersk said, adding, “Any decision to cross the strait will be based on risk assessment and closely monitoring the security situation, with the latest developments being part of ongoing evaluations.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted a statement on social media platform X on Friday, saying, “In compliance with the Lebanon ceasefire, the Strait of Hormuz is fully open for the navigation of all commercial ships during the remaining ceasefire time.”
Despite Araghchi’s announcement of the strait’s opening, different voices within Iran continue to make the shipping industry cautious.
Iranian media associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) criticized Araghchi’s statement. Tasnim News Agency warned that if the US continues its maritime blockade against Iran, this “opening” would be seen as ineffective. Tasnim also criticized Araghchi’s statement for being “completely lacking in discretion in disseminating information.”
Since the Iran-Iraq War, the IRGC has effectively enforced a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. Another news agency affiliated with the IRGC, Fars News Agency, stated, “Following the unexpected tweet from the Foreign Minister announcing the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian society has fallen into confusion.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, Saeid Golkar, an expert on Iranian security affairs at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, stated that the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has caused a rift within the Iranian regime.
“With the death of the main ‘mediator,’ conflicts between different factions have begun,” he said.
US President Trump welcomed the Iranian Foreign Minister’s announcement of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on Friday but stated that the US military will continue to fully enforce the maritime blockade against Iran until an agreement is reached between the US and Iran.