Iran exempts ships from India, China, Iraq and Qatar from Strait of Hormuz restrictions
Iran has exempted merchant ships from India, China, Iraq and Qatar from restrictions on passage through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian lawmaker has said. The arrangement is intended to serve Tehran’s diplomatic and economic interests, with the exemption for Indian vessels partly aimed at helping medicine supplies reach Iran.
Amir Hayat-Moghaddam, deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said ships from the four countries could cross the waterway without facing the restrictions imposed on other merchant vessels. His remarks come as shipping through the strait remains under pressure amid the West Asia conflict.
Iran allows ships from four countries to pass through Hormuz
In an interview with the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), Hayat-Moghaddam said vessels from India, China, Iraq and Qatar were currently exempt from transit restrictions.
“We have currently exempted India, China, Iraq and Qatar from transit restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. Ships from these countries pass freely, and the Americans do not intercept them either,” he said.
He said the exemptions were linked to Iran’s diplomatic and economic priorities. The arrangement for Indian ships was intended to facilitate the import of medicines from India, while the exemption for Chinese vessels was aimed at securing Beijing’s political support.
Iran charges Indian and Chinese ships transit fees
Hayat-Moghaddam said Iran collects transit fees from Indian and Chinese vessels using the strait. Qatari ships, however, are allowed to pass without paying charges.
The comments come as merchant shipping continues to face restrictions in the waterway, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The European Union said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy had introduced a system requiring ships to provide identification details, along with information about their cargo and destination, to obtain permission to pass.
Why the Strait of Hormuz matters to India
The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for India’s energy supplies. India imports nearly 90 per cent of the crude oil it uses, and around 30 per cent of those imports currently pass through the strait.
India’s reliance on the route was much higher in the past, when nearly 70 per cent of its crude oil imports came through Hormuz. New Delhi has since diversified its supply sources, increasing purchases from Russia, the United States, West Africa and Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
The strait, which lies between Iran and Oman, carries nearly a quarter of global seaborne oil supplies originating in West Asian countries. Any disruption to shipping through the route can therefore affect energy supplies and wider global trade.
Shipping restrictions raise concerns over seafarer safety
The restrictions have come amid the West Asia conflict, which began in February. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), at least 70 attacks on merchant ships were reported between the start of the conflict and August, killing 19 seafarers.
Fifteen seafarers are among the 24 Indians killed so far in the conflict.
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