Strait of Hormuz ‘completely open’ as Trump celebrates tumbling oil prices, rips into NATO as ‘Paper Tiger’

Nypost · 🇨🇳 public China · Apr 17, 2026 · 1352 words · By Caitlin Doornbos

US-NATO relations US-Iran Geopolitical Conflict Global Oil Market Stability

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Strait of Hormuz ‘completely open’ as Trump celebrates tumbling oil prices, rips into NATO as ‘Paper Tiger’ Iran’s foreign minister announced Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is now “completely open” for all commercial ships — as President Trump said the US…

Claims checked 18

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center89%

Right11%

9 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The developments are being viewed by markets and world leaders as steps in the right direction, and while the Iranian regime is still quibbling and contradicting Trump, he appears optimistic that remaining disagreements will be ironed out.

Common ground

“In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire,” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post to X.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this US-NATO relations story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that the critical passage is only open “on the coordinated route,” referring to a pathway approved earlier this month by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?
How does this story connect US-NATO relations with US-Iran Geopolitical Conflict over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/world-news/strait-of-hormuz-completely-open-until-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 18 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8

schedule Pending 8

info Single Source 2

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Claim 1: “the critical passage is only open “on the coordinated route,” referring to a pathway approved earlier this month by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps”

CORROBORATED

The New York Post reports that Araghchi specified the passage is only open on a 'coordinated route' approved by the IRGC.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 19 March 2026, the United States began an aerial campaign against Iranian targets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following its closure by Iran in response to the attacks by the United States and Is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_campaign

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) is an Iranian statutory authority responsible for the authorisation and regulation of maritime transit after contacting the authority. It was founded on 5 May 2026…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulf_Strait_Authority

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz () is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “the reopening of the critical chokepoint — which carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil — would instead be permanent”

CORROBORATED

Five independent news organizations (Daily Dispatch, Sowetan, France24, Jpost, Deutsche Welle) confirm that the strait carries approximately one-fifth (20%) of the world's oil.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis

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+ 5 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “Iran’s foreign minister announced Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is now “completely open” for all commercial ships”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is 'completely open' for commercial vessels.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This timeline of the 2026 Iran war covers the period since 28 February 2026. The war is ongoing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2026_Iran_war

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “All commercial ships planning to sail through must also receive permission from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Wikipedia and The Guardian, indicate that ships must coordinate with or receive permission from the Iranian military/IRGC to pass.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 13 April 2026, the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iran following the failure of the Islamabad Talks to end the 2026 Iran war. The US military said the blockade had begun on Monday, 13 Ap…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_naval_block…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known domestically as Sepah or Pasdaran and internationally as Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary force of the Iranian Armed Fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guard_Co…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 5: “Brent crude dropping 11% to $88 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate declining 10% to $81”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific price drops (11% to $88 and 10% to $81) are not corroborated by the provided evidence; the evidence only discusses general benchmarks or a price increase during the closure.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Brent crude oil futures rose past $109 per barrel on Friday and added 8.1% for the week as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed, keeping global supply concerns elevated.
https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/brent-crude-oil

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — WTI (West Texas Intermediate) and Brent are two major benchmarks for crude oil prices.The pricing of WTI and Brent oil futures is based on the underlying spot prices of the respective crude oils. Spot…
https://oilprice.com/futures/brent/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Gain instant access to the live Brent Crude Oil price, key market metrics, trading details, and intricate Brent Crude Oil futures contract specifications.
https://www.investing.com/commodities/brent-oil

schedule

Claim 6: “a group of around 20 ships, including container ships, bulk carriers and tankers, was seen sailing in the Gulf towards the exit via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 7: “the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire”

CORROBORATED

The claim is corroborated by TASS and Al Jazeera, stating the passage is open for the remaining period of the ceasefire.

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+ 2 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 8: “The US-Iran cease-fire — which is set to expire Tuesday”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 10: “the US naval blockade on Iranian ships and ports would remain until Tehran signed a deal with Washington to end the war”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general context of a blockade is mentioned in Wikipedia, the specific condition that it remains 'until Tehran signed a deal with Washington to end the war' is not explicitly corroborated by the provided search results, though it aligns with the general conflict narrative.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — United States - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 9 hours ago · Reuters.com is your online source for the latest US news stories and current events, ensuring our readers up to date with any breaking news developments
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/

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web search NEUTRAL — Get facts about the U.S., its laws, history, and statistics. Buy government property. Learn about the president and how to contact elected officials and federal agencies.
https://www.usa.gov/about-the-us

schedule

Claim 11: “negotiations are likely to take place in Islamabad on Monday”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “Iran’s enriched uranium will under no circumstances be transferred anywhere”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “Iran and the US were working together to remove all sea mines in the strait”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly mention Donald Trump's claims that the US and Iran are working together to clear sea mines from the strait.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Iran is removing sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz with US assistanceIran's Foreign Minister announced the Strait is fully open for commercial vesselsTrump confirmed the Strait is open but US naval …
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trump-says-us-and-ira…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Donald Trump claimed the US and Iran are jointly clearing sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route. This follows weeks of tension after Iran reportedly mined the waterway, disrupting shi…
https://newsable.asianetnews.com/world/trump-claims-us-and-i…

schedule

Claim 14: “the US is considering releasing $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets, with the potential to ultimately release a total of $20 billion over a two-to-three year period”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 15: “military vessels were still prohibited from crossing the strait”

CORROBORATED

Both the New York Post and Xinhua report that military vessels remain prohibited from crossing the waterway.

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web search NEUTRAL — TEHRAN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Military vessels are prohibited from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and only civilian vessels can pass through it via designated routes and with the permission of t…
https://english.news.cn/20260417/a7011d3ab69141e3b9ff3a751f4…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that, in line with the truce in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared "completely open" f…
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202604/1359183.shtml?id=11

+ 1 more evidence source

schedule

Claim 16: “the cruise ship Celestyal Discovery was the first passenger vessel to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 17: “Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources including Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, BBC News, and the New York Post report that Donald Trump stated Iran agreed to never close the strait again.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Iran had agreed to “never close the Strait of Hormuz again”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/17/iran-foreign-minist…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Trump added that Iran had agreed "to never close the Strait of Hormuz again"
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg045z73z1o?at_medium=RSS…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again
https://www.dw.com/en/iran-war-strait-of-hormuz-open-amid-is…

+ 2 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 18: “Iran would turn over all remaining enriched uranium”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.