On April 17, 2026, Donald Trump announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic, a move confirmed by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The announcement came nearly two months after the first coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28, 2026, which triggered a broader regional conflict. According to Human Rights Activists in Iran, the war has resulted in at least 3,636 deaths in Iran, even as Reuters reports over 2,000 fatalities in Lebanon.
Despite the declaration, the Strait’s status shifted rapidly. Within 24 hours, Iranian military officials declared the waterway closed again, stating that several vessels had been attacked while attempting to transit. Trump responded by mocking the reversal, asserting that the existing U.S. Blockade already prevented Iranian ships from using the passage.
On April 20, Trump claimed that U.S. Naval forces had fired upon and boarded an Iranian cargo vessel in the Strait. This came just one day after he announced plans to send a U.S. Delegation back to Islamabad for renewed talks with Iranian officials, reiterating threats to bomb civilian infrastructure in Iran if negotiations failed.
The inconsistency in Iran’s messaging reflects deeper internal divisions. State media reported that Iranian officials were unwilling to resume peace talks, but analysts note that the country lacks a single supreme leader for the second time in its 47-year history. One observer compared the power struggle to the chaotic early months of the 1979 revolution, describing it as a “power jungle.”
The first round of talks in Islamabad on April 11–12 revealed the depth of these divisions. Unlike previous delegations, which were minor and tightly controlled, the Iranian team sent to Pakistan included around 80 members, roughly 30 of whom were identified as decision-makers. Among them were veteran diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi, who helped negotiate the 2015 nuclear deal under the Obama administration, and Mahmoud Nabavian, a hardliner who routinely denounces the U.S. As a “ferocious yellow dog” and dismisses any agreement as surrender.
For more on this story, see Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz During Lebanon Ceasefire.
Nabavian’s rhetoric reportedly disrupted the talks to such an extent that Pakistani mediators spent as much time managing internal Iranian disputes as they did engaging with the U.S. Delegation. When tensions escalated, the hosts called a pause in proceedings.
Meanwhile, European officials are considering alternative responses to the conflict. EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas stated that before pursuing a full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement—which requires unanimous approval—the bloc should first consider restrictive measures, such as trade restrictions, that could be adopted with a qualified majority. She noted that a partial suspension proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen already exists and would only require such a majority to advance.
Kallas added that member states must assess whether they have the political will to implement these measures to exert pressure on Israel.
Why did Iran’s military contradict the foreign minister’s confirmation of the Strait’s reopening?
Iranian military officials stated the Strait had been closed again after reports of attacks on vessels attempting to transit, reflecting opposition from hardline factions within the government to the diplomatic opening announced by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
This follows our earlier report, US Blockade Hits Iranian Trade and Strait of Hormuz Transit.
What does the composition of the Iranian delegation in Islamabad suggest about internal divisions?
The delegation was unusually large and included both experienced diplomats like Majid Takht-Ravanchi and hardline figures like Mahmoud Nabavian, whose opposing views led to internal clashes that required Pakistani mediators to spend significant time managing disputes among Iranians before engaging with U.S. Officials.
What alternative is the EU considering instead of fully suspending its agreement with Israel?
The EU is evaluating whether to adopt restrictive measures, such as trade restrictions, that require only a qualified majority rather than unanimity, as a preliminary step before pursuing a full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.