Althouse: "The Strait of Hormuz is 'completely open' for all commercial ships after the agreement of a cease-fire in Lebanon, Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday."

April 17, 2026

"The Strait of Hormuz is 'completely open' for all commercial ships after the agreement of a cease-fire in Lebanon, Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday."

And here's Trump at Truth Social, one minute ago: "THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS AND FULL PASSAGE, BUT THE NAVAL BLOCKADE WILL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS IT PERTAINS TO IRAN, ONLY, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE. THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! PRESIDENT DONALD J.TRUMP"

93 comments:

Money Manger said...: Moans arise from the NYT newsroom. Then, "how can we spin this as failure ?"; 4/17/26, 8:30 AM
tim maguire said...: It's completely open because of an agreement? After days of telling us they don't know how many mines they planted or where they are?

Which is the lie?; 4/17/26, 8:32 AM
Jamie said...: They sure don't make forever wars like they used to.

(I am cautiously optimistic. Fat lady hasn't sung yet.); 4/17/26, 8:32 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: This is ironic given that the only ships that have passed have been Iranian-adjacent. Future Trump quote: "We opened the strait. Nobody though it could be done"

Future headline: Trump Sacrifices American Lives and Hundreds of Billions of Dollars to Revive Obama’s JCPOA (but better); 4/17/26, 8:36 AM
narciso said...: Otto still on the london underground; 4/17/26, 8:39 AM
Paul said...: MAGA!!!!; 4/17/26, 8:44 AM
Peachy said...: Same. Cautiously optimistic.
Nukes gone, sure - but I want the Islamic Theocracy dead and buried.; 4/17/26, 8:46 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Iran says the strait is open for the rest of the ceasefire Time period. And Trump says our counterblockade is the same.

So what happens when the ceasefire period ends with no agreement? Who knows. I don't trust anything Trump says. Maybe he's being honest. Maybe he's lying - like he did in Feburuary. Is he playing for time until the Marines get to the Gulf or honestly trying for peace?

Well have to see if there's a real peace agreement. BTW, Russia offered to take all the enriched Uranium and keep it so Iran couldn't build a nuke. But Trump said no.; 4/17/26, 8:48 AM
Tacitus said...: Were there every any actual mines? At this point the remaining issue - other than of course Iranian duplicity - would seem to be the enriched uranium under a mountain of rubble. And of course whatever portion of it got squirreled away elsewhere. Not sure any other nation on earth would hide it for them, so it will be found eventually.; 4/17/26, 8:49 AM
Caroline said...: Terrific news. I’m rooting for the admin to succeed!; 4/17/26, 8:49 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: If I was Iran I would be contacting North Korea and asking for a nuke. And asking Russia for an ICBM. Because that's the only way to keep Israel and its bitch USA from attacking and bombing Iran anytime they feel like it.; 4/17/26, 8:49 AM
D.D. Driver said...: So how does this deal compare to the Obama deal?

Considering that Obama didn't need to waste my tax money or kill school girls to do it, I say Barry can teach Donnie a thing or two abou the Art of the Deal.; 4/17/26, 8:51 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: As an American, I hope this thing ends as soon as possible. I'm not an Israeli or Iranian and this unneccessary, immoral, "war" has nothing to do with me or the interests of my country. All the people worked up about "Moolahs" and women wearing hijabs should go to Iran and join the resistance. Stop running your mouth and buy an airplane ticket.; 4/17/26, 8:53 AM
Peachy said...: RC Cola - "Immoral war"

Actual immoral behavior comes from the Islamic Theocratic Male dominated Thugs who murder their own citizens by the thousands... and pump/pay/promote the never ending terror and war against Israel.; 4/17/26, 9:02 AM
Saint Croix said...: Capitulation.; 4/17/26, 9:04 AM
Saint Croix said...: That'a a big loss of face for Iran.; 4/17/26, 9:06 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: "So what happens when the ceasefire period ends with no agreement? Who knows. I don't trust anything Trump says."

Let me guess - "two weeks"?

"If I was Iran I would be contacting North Korea and asking for a nuke"

According to WSJ, the DPRK is working hard to expand their nuclear arsenal, including a new enrichment site. Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly affirmed his good ties with Kim Jong Un.
It seems that Iran's nuclear program is only a concern to Trump because of its proximity to Israel.

Just trying to ease the markets? Trump's entirely driven by the US 10-year yield. When it touches 4.4%, he steps in without fail.

Markets are responding accordingly, but the true test is whether Trump agrees to a permanent cessation of hostilities,
including by Israel. If not, nothing will have been achieved at all.; 4/17/26, 9:06 AM
D.D. Driver said...: Actual immoral behavior comes from

There's my bimbofied Peachy!!!

Did you realize that both things can be true? Derp! Iran can be immoral but its also immoral for us to incinerate school girls. Silly Peachy their balloon tits and empty head.

It can be two things! At the same time!; 4/17/26, 9:08 AM
Peachy said...: Little-Biotch-Bot - You should go and work for Islamic Thugs and the backwards insanity NoKo regime. You'd be great.; 4/17/26, 9:09 AM
Peachy said...: bold off ?; 4/17/26, 9:09 AM
Peachy said...: DDD sh*ts the bed; 4/17/26, 9:10 AM
Saint Croix said...: Market up dramatically.; 4/17/26, 9:10 AM
Peachy said...: DD - so you think our military actually killed School girls?

You buy the Palestinian type propaganda?; 4/17/26, 9:11 AM
Peachy said...: Leftists always buy wholesale lies. Always.; 4/17/26, 9:11 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Do the lefties understand that this means Iran cannot use the strait as a choke point? Is this more of Iran “winning”?; 4/17/26, 9:12 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Mission accomplished! By which we mean things are at least no worse than they were before this ill fated military adventure. And hey! We made a LOT of money trading inside info. Thank you America. ~ Donald J Trump; 4/17/26, 9:14 AM
Conrad said...: "All the people worked up about 'Moolahs' and women wearing hijabs should go to Iran and join the resistance. "

This is like saying, "All the people worked up about Nazis making Jews wear yellow stars...." You're minimizing the extent and depth of the evil.; 4/17/26, 9:15 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: If Iran hands over its enriched uranium to the US, then Trump can reasonably call this operation a success.; 4/17/26, 9:16 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Hey McGuire get up to speed bro. Iran was, hold onto your hat, LYING. Yep. First they pretended they were going to attack our ships (listen to the tape, it’s hilarious) but it was just IRGC radio bs. Then their “oh noes we mislaid our mines” act was revealed to be LIES. No mines. None. The EU chickened out over empty threats.

Just like yeller Democrats. LOL what a week!; 4/17/26, 9:18 AM
bagoh20 said...: Nasdaq is up 56% in just over a year since the Panicans told us the end was near, and Trump told us it was a good time to invest. Yea, the same people who tell us everyday that Trump is an idiot missed out on one of the biggest runups in history. All they had to do was fight the TDS long enough to listen and buy into America.; 4/17/26, 9:32 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Well done once again Mr Trump, you clearly have God on your side. Unlike that pretender in Italy. 🤣; 4/17/26, 9:34 AM
bagoh20 said...: Lil' E: "I don't trust anything Trump says."

HAHAHAH!; 4/17/26, 9:35 AM
Randomizer said...: Progressives are the only allies that the Mullahs have. Do they still think they are on the right side of history?; 4/17/26, 9:35 AM
Howard said...: The markets are responding positively.; 4/17/26, 9:38 AM
Jamie said...: It astonishes me that the deliberate, brutal actions of Islamists against civilians occupy exactly the same moral ground in the minds of leftists and antisemites as both fog-of-war errors and accidents by the US or Israel and collateral deaths and destruction caused by where Islamists decide to park their vulnerable and oh-so-sympathetic-and-photogenic women and children.

Are we certain that those schoolgirls weren't also handicapped? Several herein would cheer if they were, it seems, since it would only highlight the delicious depravity of the US and Israel.; 4/17/26, 9:39 AM
Howard said...: LE: I agree. If Trump secure the Uranium, it might save the midterms. Not sure giving it to Putin is the best look 🤪; 4/17/26, 9:41 AM
narciso said...: They always hated america first (jeanne kirkpatrick); 4/17/26, 9:42 AM
Yancey Ward said...: You can smell the flop-sweat from Li'l Bich and D.D.; 4/17/26, 9:45 AM
bagoh20 said...: Whatever happens now, the fact remains that after every world leader for decades crowed about not letting Iran get nuclear weapons, Trump destroyed that threat in just a few months and reversed the U.S./China energy trajectory, while simultaneously getting Israel and the Middle East all on the same side, as Europe and NATO watched from the sidelines. All the while, we have had had extremely low losses. Not a single "expert" or leader would have told you that was even possible a few months ago. Trump even had to fight his own followers. We have not seen that kind of leadership anywhere for along time.; 4/17/26, 9:53 AM
n.n said...: NYeT!; 4/17/26, 9:56 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Am I supposed to give the arsonist credit for putting out the fire he started?

I think, as with most things involving Trump, I'll wait and see what actually happens with Iran rather than relying on what he claims on Truth Social.

Experience has shown that the actual results rarely match his predictions.; 4/17/26, 10:01 AM
Peachy said...: Little Bitch Bot(D) - Your act is stale. Do f off.; 4/17/26, 10:03 AM
Enigma said...: @Little E -- still holding a grudge against Jimmy Carter and the fires he started? Wow! Long memory for you.; 4/17/26, 10:03 AM
Yancey Ward said...: "Experience has shown that the actual results rarely match his predictions."

The above quote, written with no irony at all, by a commenter that hasn't predicted a single thing correctly since he first showed up here 3 years ago under the moniker "Rich".

Bich, we can literally tell what the future is by taking your predictions and assuming the exact opposite will happen.; 4/17/26, 10:04 AM
narciso said...: Inverse cramer; 4/17/26, 10:05 AM
Peachy said...: 9:53 Bagoh - Indeed.; 4/17/26, 10:05 AM
Peachy said...: Meanwhile the inept corrupt democratic left can do nothing but bite at Hegseth's ankles.
He has shown complete competence.
When the corrupt left take over our military - they turn it to woke/ shit.; 4/17/26, 10:05 AM
bagoh20 said...: "Am I supposed to give the arsonist credit for putting out the fire he started?"

So nobody thought Iran was a threat until Trump made it up, right? It may just be too late for you. I'm sorry.; 4/17/26, 10:05 AM
Peachy said...: Kak-a- bitch-bot(D) is a useless idiot. and a LIAR.
Shall we roll the tape of top democrats in power proclaiming Iran is the #1 State Sponsor of Terror? Decades of that.
Memory holed by the bot.; 4/17/26, 10:08 AM
n.n said...: Obama's Iran-Hamas Affair hasn't progressed well.; 4/17/26, 10:08 AM
n.n said...: The American-Abrahamic alliance bears fruit.; 4/17/26, 10:10 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: It's approaching the weekend. I wonder if the White House has instructed it insider traders to go short or long this time?; 4/17/26, 10:12 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: "So nobody thought Iran was a threat until Trump made it up, right?"

JCPOA = Just Changed President. Old Agreement.; 4/17/26, 10:14 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: I hope the price gets down to $70/barrel than I can buy futures and make a fortune when it goes back to $90; 4/17/26, 10:15 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Iran not getting nuclear weapons isn't going to make my life one ounce better. Its simply irrelevant to the lives of 300 million Americans. But when we get past this, all the Israeli-firsters and world crusaders will have to find another cause to get worked up about. Giddy minds and foreign quarrels. It never ends. LOL.; 4/17/26, 10:17 AM
Ambrose said...: Notice how they repeat as fact without qualification a statement from the Iranian government.; 4/17/26, 10:19 AM
Chest Rockwell said...: JCPOA was garbage and the Iranians were cheating on it, and everyone knew it.

Iran is dramatically different than it was a month ago, with all it's leadership dead. I suspect an internal revolution isn't far behind, which will bring about an end of the Islamic 'Republic' and good fucking riddance.

But of course you and RC and LE will bitch no matter what as will all Democrats. An insufferable lot.; 4/17/26, 10:21 AM
Chest Rockwell said...: RC, go take a nap old man.; 4/17/26, 10:22 AM
D.D. Driver said...: JCPOA was garbage and the Iranians were cheating on it, and everyone knew it.

And this new deal is better in the following ways:

1. ___________
2. ___________
3. ___________

(I know you cannot answer this because you haven't been given MAGA talking points yet).; 4/17/26, 10:27 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Middle east thread, suddenly the "Who the hell is that?" types show up and post. Uusally, they have no details (Private doncha know) or they have say 771 views on blogger in 19 years. Can you say sock puppet boys and girls?; 4/17/26, 10:27 AM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: Pheww! now that th epresent administration has saved the world from itself,we can get back to important business!. RENEGADE takes top spot for the 1st Saturday in May but with other top contenders hopefully they won't kill the price. I cannot bet this champ at any less than 5-1 so we'll see. FURTHER ADO at 8-1 looks about right to me but still time to see. Ahh ! isn't the world just marvelous.. The DTS(DERANGED TRUMP SYNDROME)folks has erupted in Joy on a glorious day above ground as yet another WAR is stopped,I think that's 9 now? Tony the Tiger always said" GRRREAT! Be careful in this 20 horse field with some real good sleepers! DANON BOURBON (racing better than FOREVER YOUNG (I caught him last year in BREEDERS CUP, good payday, $9.00 TO WIN AT 7-2)) is looking sharp and Japanese are making their place in the SPORT OF KINGS!; 4/17/26, 10:28 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Its simply irrelevant to the lives of 300 million Americans.

Only if you cruelly overlook the 288 Marines killed by Iran in Beirut, the 53,000 servicemen wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan (over 150,000 when civilian contractors etc are added in) and the 468,000 traumatic brain injuries (TBI) suffered there from Iranian weapons.

So those half-million plus dead and wounded Americans won't be matched by another million or so in the future. We lost 13 in this war but are saving far more, because Iran proved itself a rogue state, even if you don't believe it.; 4/17/26, 10:29 AM
Chest Rockwell said...: "(I know you cannot answer this because you haven't been given MAGA talking points yet)."

Their nuclear enrichment facilities were destroyed for one. Glad I could help out.; 4/17/26, 10:34 AM
Greg The Class Traitor said...: So, if I understand correctly:
Iran has given up on trying to block the straits of Hormuz, but the US has not stopped blockading Iran, and won't until they give Trump everything he wants.

But "Iran is winning the war."

Do Lefties EVER get tired of being wrong? Or is their obsession for power such that nothing matters other than the pursuit of power, and being wrong in that pursuit is simply no big deal to them?; 4/17/26, 10:42 AM
Greg The Class Traitor said...: tim maguire said...
It's completely open because of an agreement? After days of telling us they don't know how many mines they planted or where they are?
US destroyers have been doing minesweeping for several days now, so maybe they got them all; 4/17/26, 10:43 AM
Greg The Class Traitor said...: D.D. Driver babbles stupidly...
So how does this deal compare to the Obama deal?

Considering that Obama didn't need to waste my tax money or kill school girls to do it, I say Barry can teach Donnie a thing or two abou the Art of the Deal.

1: Barry funded Iranian terrorists killing Americans. Apparently DD is perfectly ok with Iranian terrorists killing Americans, it's just false claims that the US killed the children or Iranian terrorists that bother him
2: Barry's deal allowed Iran to make nuclear weapons. DD and RC appear to love this, RC because he's a jew hating Nazi, DD because he's a TDS addled lunatic
3: Using my tax money to bomb Iran is the Platonic ideal of "not a waste".; 4/17/26, 10:46 AM
Greg The Class Traitor said...: Little Excursion™️ said...
Am I supposed to give the arsonist credit for putting out the fire he started?

No, you shouldn't.

But Trump didn't start this fire, Iran did, November 4, 1979, when they invaded our Embassy.

And kept the fire going, with every attack they carried out against US citizens in the following 47 years.

Trump is putting out the fire, and for that he deserves nothing but praise.; 4/17/26, 10:50 AM
Yancey Ward said...: "It's approaching the weekend. I wonder if the White House has instructed it insider traders to go short or long this time?"

So, now Bich is reduced to blaming all his stock market losses during the last 6 weeks on insiders.; 4/17/26, 10:51 AM
Christopher B said...: The Strait is open, Iran is in an economic noose along with Chy-naaa, US markets booming, and Low-T Lil'E is frantically moving those goalposts.; 4/17/26, 10:52 AM
Greg The Class Traitor said...: RCOCEAN II said...
Iran not getting nuclear weapons isn't going to make my life one ounce better.

So, not only are you a Nazi, you're a moron.

America is the Mad Mullah's of Iran's "Great Satan". It is not possible to "think" that Iran wouldn't nuke the US if they had nukes, it's only possible to "delude", because any mental process that examines the last 47 years and says "oh Iran wouldn't nuke the US if they could" is a process entirely devoid of thought, reason, logic, or understanding.

Anyone too stupid to understand that a container ship can deliver a nuke to the US is also someone utterly incapable of anything that qualifies as "thought".

The Mad Mullahs currently running Iran are America's enemies, and always will be. Only those who hate America side with them, on any question; 4/17/26, 10:56 AM
Greg The Class Traitor said...: D.D. Driver said...
JCPOA was garbage and the Iranians were cheating on it, and everyone knew it.

And this new deal is better in the following ways:

1. ___________
2. ___________
3. ___________

(I know you cannot answer this because you haven't been given MAGA talking points yet).

1: What's the actual, final, deal? Do you know? I don't. So I can't say "what's" better"

2: What was good about JCPOA? Please name ANYTHING about it that was good, and to the benefit of America, as opposed to the benefit of those who hate America (which included the entire Obama Admin).

What did JCPOA do:
1: It gave Iran pallets of cash they could use to fund terrorists to kill Americans
2: It allowed them to enrich as much uranium as they wanted, as much as they wanted

Any "agreement" that doesn't have "anytime, anywhere, no notice required" inspections of the enrichment process is a blank check to make nuclear weapons, and that's what JCPOA was.

So, share your talking points DD. What was good about JCPOA?; 4/17/26, 11:02 AM
Dude1394 said...: Damn, that Trump sure is incompetent. 9 wars ended. A 47 year terrorist leader demolished. Nuclear tipped Iran off the table. And new relations with the Middle East, Pakistan, India and NATO getting the b**** slap they deserve. What a lead up to the 250th birthday.; 4/17/26, 11:02 AM
Milo Minderbinder said...: Ohhh, noooo, Trump was right again....; 4/17/26, 11:10 AM
narciso said...: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1165047694545391678/1494718550839922810/image0.jpg?ex=69e3a0a1&is=69e24f21&hm=c87ef2e1d6119744a2b1e5c46755de41988748f18ee4f0dcca4d8d9648a886c3&; 4/17/26, 11:25 AM
narciso said...: Aktually we have been observing for 40 years if not longer; 4/17/26, 11:30 AM
narciso said...: It was a jizda a very exoensive ransom; 4/17/26, 11:31 AM
narciso said...: outcome of this war look like? An Iran that doesn’t threaten nuclear jihad and doesn’t sponsor endless terror operations here, there, and everywhere. It looks like we are going to get to that. Iran’s choice is how deep do they want to take their own economic collapse before capitulating? If they’ll just stop now, they’ll still keep the lights on. They can be a normal, modern, developed nation without a death wish.; 4/17/26, 11:35 AM
narciso said...: Anyway, the paradigm Iran was operating in as a rogue state is dead, especially the malign influence of Britain’s banking and MI6 intel matrix. Britain, proven by its actions to be not a friend of America. . . Britain, a wretched little has-been island empire with bad teeth, overrun by wrathful Islamists, and, alas, soon to be a caliphate.; 4/17/26, 11:35 AM
Iman said...: Rosenbergs, H-bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, The King and I, and The Catcher in the Rye
Eisenhower, vaccine, England's Schtarmer’s just a queen
Marciano, Liberace, NATO’s toast, goodbye

Trump didn't start the fire
It was always burning since the world's been turning
Trump didn't start the fire
No, he didn't light it, but he tried to fight it

Igna, Cook, Malenkov, say no more, enough’s enough
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Macron
Swalwell and Gallego dead,
Thinkin’ with teh Little Head

Trump didn't start the fire
It was always burning since the world's been turning…; 4/17/26, 11:44 AM
Maynard said...: It is getting more and more difficult to tell the difference between Little E and RCO.; 4/17/26, 11:46 AM
narciso said...: Because of kurchatov they would havr gotten the bomb with or without rosenbergs glass fuchs; 4/17/26, 11:57 AM
pacwest said...: "Iran not getting nuclear weapons isn't going to make my life one ounce better."

I know that blog comments are often spur of the moment reactions, but think this through for a bit. The mullahs not being able to use nuclear weapons to attempt to achieve their goals has far reaching effects on the future global order. Think it through.; 4/17/26, 11:57 AM
narciso said...: Without the first there might not have been the pammunjon stale mate heck kim might not have invaded at all; 4/17/26, 12:02 PM
pacwest said...: @DDDriver

Uh,
JCPOA=Iran gets a glide path to nuclear weapon development and cash to fund missile production.

Trump deal=No nukes, missile facilities demolished, cash flow constricted.

You used to give at least some lip service to logical argument. What changed?; 4/17/26, 12:04 PM
Known Unknown said...: "Iran not getting nuclear weapons isn't going to make my life one ounce better."

I suppose this is myopically true. However, it's not the use of nuclear weapons that is the threat here, but the leverage of using nuclear capabilities as blackmail for a theocratic nation.; 4/17/26, 12:43 PM
Enigma said...: Theocratic is likely but not necessarily evil; terroristic and theocratic and routinely executing citizens is pretty evil.; 4/17/26, 12:55 PM
Greg The Class Traitor said...: Iman said at 4/17/26, 11:44 AM

Hilarious!; 4/17/26, 1:19 PM
Old and slow said...: Asking Rcocean to think things through is pissing in the wind if Israel is involved even peripherally.; 4/17/26, 2:06 PM
Saint Croix said...: Swalwell and Gallego dead,
Thinkin’ with the Little Head

LOL

now do Piano Man
or You May Be Right

That ought to be Trump's theme song
we don't even need to change the lyrics

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just might be a lunatic
You're looking for; 4/17/26, 2:48 PM
Aggie said...: Now that Trump is through cracking his Pope jokes, and trolling people as the Second Coming, I'm kind of dreading that at some point he's going to announce himself as the 12th Imam, bitches, here to guide the country of Iran to judgment day.; 4/17/26, 3:08 PM
Original Mike said...: Jamie said..."It astonishes me that the deliberate, brutal actions of Islamists against civilians occupy exactly the same moral ground in the minds of leftists and antisemites as both fog-of-war errors and accidents by the US or Israel and collateral deaths and destruction caused by where Islamists decide to park their vulnerable and oh-so-sympathetic-and-photogenic women and children."

It no longer astonishes me.
It does speak volumes.; 4/17/26, 3:23 PM
Rigelsen said...: It’s funny how many people are taking Iran’s words for it. Iran, the country with no navy remaining to speak of and itself under a naval blockade certainly is the one to decide whether the Strait of Hormuz is open and not the President’s word when it’s the U.S. Navy that’s actually in control of the waters.; 4/17/26, 3:57 PM
Jim at said...: Considering that Obama didn't need to waste my tax money or kill school girls to do it, I say Barry can teach Donnie a thing or two abou the Art of the Deal.

GFY.; 4/17/26, 6:02 PM