Oil tankers resume transit through Strait of Hormuzresume transit through Strait of Hormuz after US-Iran deal
Oil tankers sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on June 18 after the United States and Iran put an interim deal into effect to end the war that had disrupted global energy supplies.
US officials said Washington lifted its blockade on Iran as the first shipments moved, while reports from Lebanon said fresh Israeli strikes have raised questions about whether the arrangement will hold.
The reopening matters because the strait is a critical route for global oil trade and any renewed disruption could quickly affect energy markets worldwide.
US Perspective
US officials said the first tankers moved through the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump signed a deal with Iran meant to end the war. They described the reopening of the waterway and the lifting of the blockade as an early sign that the agreement could stabilize energy flows, even as unresolved issues remain.
Regional Perspective
Reports from the region noted that Israeli strikes in Lebanon have added doubt about whether the wider calm will last. This view treats the resumption of shipping as important but fragile, because fighting elsewhere could still unsettle the agreement.
- The Strait of Hormuz is only about 33 kilometers wide at its narrowest point.
- A fifth of the world’s oil consumption typically moves through the wider Persian Gulf shipping route.
- Lebanon’s south has long been a flashpoint in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
US-Iran Ceasefire War
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on June 26, 2026, in response to a drone attack on a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a "foolish violation" of the 60-day ceasefire agreement signed just days earlier[2][4][14].
26 June, 09:35 PM
US launches strikes against Iran following commercial ship attack26 June, 04:47 PM
Trump calls Iran drone attack on cargo ship a ceasefire violation
