By The South Asia Times

TEHRAN – In a major diplomatic breakthrough, Iran announced on Friday the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial vessels, a decision that came day after a high-stakes visit by Pakistan’s military chief to the Iranian capital.

Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed the move in a post on X, linking the decision directly to the recently brokered ceasefire in Lebanon.

“In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran.”

The announcement marks a dramatic reversal of Iran’s earlier restrictions, which had choked one of the world’s most vital energy waterways for over three weeks amid rising regional tensions.

- Behind the Scenes: General Munir’s Mission

According to regional officials familiar with the talks, the decision was preceded by a late-night meeting on Thursday between Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal General Asim Munir.

While officially described as a routine visit focused on border security and counterterrorism, diplomatic sources suggest General Munir behind the scenes efforts defused the tension in the region.

“The general’s argument was straightforward: Iran had proven its leverage. Now was the moment to convert that leverage into diplomatic capital,” a senior Pakistani diplomatic source told this correspondent, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Strait of Hormuz, a 21-mile-wide chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, handles approximately 20% of the world’s daily oil supply. Its closure had sent crude prices soaring above $95 per barrel earlier this month, with tankers idling off the coasts of Oman and the UAE.

Within two hours of Araghchi’s announcement, global benchmark Brent crude fell 4.2%, while shipping insurance rates for Gulf routes dropped sharply.

The first vessel to transit under the new arrangement—the Pacific Grace, a Liberian-flagged crude carrier, entered the strait at 2:30 PM local time, following the coordinated route specified by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation.

- Ceasefire as a Window

Analysts noted that Araghchi’s statement explicitly ties the reopening to “the remaining period of the ceasefire in Lebanon,” suggesting the move is conditional rather than permanent.

“Iran is signaling that it can turn the tap on and off depending on regional hostilities involving its allies,” said Dr. Hamidreza Zolfaghar, a Tehran-based political analyst. “But for now, this is a genuine de-escalation. The Pakistanis played a quiet but critical role as an honest broker.”

- International Reactions

The United States, through a State Department spokesperson, said it “welcomes any reduction in threats to freedom of navigation,” while stopping short of praising Iran directly.

China’s foreign ministry called the move “a constructive step toward regional stability,” and India’s shipping ministry confirmed that several Indian-crewed vessels previously held up near Bandar Abbas would resume passage within 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both heavily reliant on the strait for their own oil exports, issued cautious but positive statements.

For the crews of the dozens of cargo ships that had been anchored in limbo, the news brought immediate relief.

“We’ve been sitting here for eighteen days, burning fuel, watching the news,” Captain Nikos Papandreou of the Pacific Grace told maritime radio service TradeWinds. “This morning, we thought we’d be here another month. Now we’re moving.”

Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation has published the designated shipping lane coordinates, requiring all vessels to transit in daylight convoys with prior notification. Officials insist the arrangement is a matter of “maritime safety and traffic management,” not a military restriction.

For now, the strait flows again—oil, grain, and liquid natural gas moving once more through the world’s most contested waters. How long the ceasefire holds, and with it Iran’s goodwill, remains the unanswered question on every trader’s lips.

— Reporting from Tehran, Islamabad, and Dubai