Tehran allows vessels from India, Russia, China and others to transit key oil route amid West Asia tensions
Amid escalating tensions in West Asia, Iran has said that vessels from several “friendly nations,” including India, will be allowed to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that Tehran has not completely shut the vital waterway and is permitting passage for ships belonging to countries maintaining friendly relations with Iran.
Passage allowed for select countries
In an interview with Iranian state television, Araghchi said vessels from India, Russia, China, Pakistan, and Iraq have been granted safe passage through the strait despite the ongoing conflict.
The Consulate General of Iran in Mumbai also confirmed the development in a post on social media, quoting Araghchi as saying that Iran had “permitted passage through the Strait of Hormuz for friendly nations including China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan.”
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, handling nearly 20% of global oil and gas trade.
Restrictions for US and Israel-linked vessels
Araghchi added that ships associated with United States, Israel, and certain Gulf nations involved in the conflict would not be granted permission to transit through the strait.
The restrictions come as tensions continue to rise in the region following the ongoing war, raising concerns about disruptions to global energy supplies.
UN urges reopening of the strait
Meanwhile, António Guterres called for the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, warning about the global consequences of prolonged disruption to shipping.
In a post on X, Guterres said the closure of the route was choking the movement of oil, gas and fertilisers at a crucial time during the global planting season.
“The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz is choking the movement of oil, gas, and fertiliser at a critical moment in the global planting season,” he said, adding that civilians across the region were already facing severe insecurity due to the ongoing conflict.
Guterres stressed that the best way to minimise the humanitarian and economic consequences would be to end the war immediately.
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