Iran's statement clarifies that "friendly" vessels, which do not participate in actions against Iran and comply with safety regulations, can pass through the strait unhindered in accordance with agreements with local authorities.
On March 25, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reported that among the countries granted permission to pass were China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan.
“We have allowed vessels from countries that we consider friendly, such as China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan, to pass. I see no reason why we should allow our enemy to pass through the strait,” Araghchi stated, as reported by the Iranian agency Tasnim.
According to vessel monitoring data cited by the FT, Iran has recently begun to allow a limited number of tankers into its waters, likely checking their safety before fully opening the passage through the Strait of Hormuz. A small number of tankers, mostly Chinese, have already been allowed through the strait in previous weeks.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans and is an important route for transporting oil from the Middle East. Nearly 35% of global crude oil supplies and about 20% of liquefied natural gas pass through it.
After the onset of the conflict between the US and Israel with Iran on February 28, Tehran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, beginning to attack passing vessels. Since the start of hostilities, at least 22 vessels have been attacked, and around 3,200 ships have remained in the Persian Gulf, unwilling to risk crossing the strait.
On March 22, US President Donald Trump demanded that Iran open the strait within 48 hours, threatening to attack Iranian power plants otherwise. However, these threats were later postponed in favor of diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.
