WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump extended by 10 days his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, pushing the new cutoff to April 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Trump announced the extension on Thursday, stating it came at the request of the Iranian government. He said backchannel talks aimed at ending the conflict were progressing. The move delays any potential U.S. strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure that he had threatened if the strait remained closed.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, is a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies. It normally carries about one-fifth of the world's traded oil and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas. Iran effectively closed the passage to most vessels following U.S. and Israeli military strikes that began in late February. Iranian forces have issued warnings and carried out attacks on ships attempting to transit, causing maritime traffic to drop sharply to near zero in recent weeks.
The disruption has driven up global oil and gas prices and affected energy markets worldwide. Major shipping companies have suspended operations in the area, and thousands of seafarers have been impacted by the halt in commercial traffic.
Trump first issued the 48-hour ultimatum over the weekend, threatening to target Iranian power plants unless Tehran allowed free passage through the strait. He extended the deadline by five days earlier this week, citing initial signs of diplomatic movement. In his latest statement on social media, Trump described the talks as "going very well" and referenced Iran permitting a small number of oil tankers—reported as around 10—to pass as a gesture during negotiations.
The U.S. has pressed allies to help secure the waterway, though specific commitments for a multinational effort have not been detailed publicly. Iran has maintained that the strait is closed to vessels linked to its adversaries while allowing limited passage for others on a selective basis.
The extension comes amid the ongoing conflict that escalated after strikes on Iranian targets. Tehran has rejected public characterizations of active negotiations and continued to enforce restrictions on shipping. U.S. officials have not released further details on the content of any discussions.
As of Friday, the strait remained largely closed to routine commercial traffic, with only sporadic approved transits reported. The situation continues to be monitored closely by energy markets and governments dependent on Gulf oil exports.
