The US has ended its naval blockade of Iranian ports, one of the terms of the newly signed agreement with Iran, and oil tankers resumed moving through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. US Central Command said the blockade was lifted on presidential orders, though some warships will stay nearby, the BBC reports. All told, 146 vessels were directed during the blockade, per the Washington Post, with nine disabled. Shortly after the blockade announcement, Iran's new supreme leader said President Trump had, "out of desperation, used all kinds of leverage," to bring the deal to fruition.
Mojtaba Khamenei, speaking publicly on the accord for the first time, said he reluctantly approved it after assurances from President Masoud Pezeshkian that Iran's rights would be safeguarded. He signaled future direct talks with the US but insisted that wouldn't mean accepting "the enemy's" stance, per the BBC. Still, that's a change, the AP points out. Hard-liners, including Khamenei's father, the previous supreme leader, have long opposed direct talks, especially after the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Vice President JD Vance said more than 12.5 million barrels went through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night. Maritime trackers said three Saudi oil tankers passed through the strait on Thursday, per French 24, as did a French vessel carrying liquefied natural gas for the first time since the US and Israel first struck Iran in February.
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