Iran opens Hormuz Strait for shipping, Revolutionary Guard says : NPR

A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the foreground in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on May 2.

Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP

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Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be provided, under unspecified procedures, after President Trump paused a U.S. military effort to guide merchant vessels through the strategic waterway.

“We appreciate the cooperation of captains and vessel owners operating in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman regarding transit through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with Iran’s regulations, as well as the satisfactory participation of vessels in regional maritime security,” the Revolutionary Guard’s navy command said in an online statement. “With the end of the aggressors’ threats and in light of new procedures, safe and sustainable transit through the strait will be facilitated.”

Moments later, President Trump wrote online that the war would end once an agreement was reached with Iran, but he warned that U.S. bombing would resume if not.

“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” Trump said. “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”

This is a developing story that will be updated.