Iran has indicated that ships linked to India and several other countries it considers friendly may continue to pass through the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, even as tensions remain high across the Middle East following recent military escalation involving the United States and Israel. The announcement came from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during remarks carried by Iranian state television, where he clarified that the vital energy corridor has not been fully shut despite ongoing conflict in the region.
According to Araghchi, several countries contacted Tehran directly to request safe maritime transit through the narrow waterway, which normally handles roughly one fifth of global oil shipments. Speaking to state media and cited by Reuters, he confirmed that vessels connected to countries such as India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iraq and Bangladesh have already coordinated with Iranian authorities to ensure passage. He added that at least two Indian ships successfully crossed the strait in recent days and suggested similar arrangements could continue even after hostilities ease.
At the same time, Iranian officials signalled that ships associated with countries viewed as hostile or directly involved in the conflict would not receive clearance. Araghchi stated that vessels linked to the United States, Israel and certain Gulf states participating in the crisis would be denied transit. He described the region as an active war zone and said there was no justification for allowing enemy-linked shipping to move through the corridor while hostilities continue.
Despite those assurances for selected countries, disruptions in the strait remain severe. Earlier this week, Iranian forces stopped a Pakistan-bound container ship identified as SELEN from entering the waterway after it lacked the necessary transit authorization. The vessel had departed from the Sharjah anchorage in the United Arab Emirates and was headed toward Karachi before being forced to turn back, according to statements attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply since the conflict intensified. Analysts cited by Reuters reported that daily commodity carrier movements through the corridor fell dramatically between March 1 and March 25. Data from analytics firm Kpler showed only 155 crossings during that period, representing a steep decline compared with typical levels. Of those crossings, most were oil tankers and liquefied natural gas carriers moving eastward out of the strait, with only two vessels recorded travelling west on Wednesday.
The disruption has already begun affecting global energy supply chains and broader economic activity. With a major share of international oil and gas flows constrained, governments and industries are confronting rising fuel costs and logistical challenges reminiscent of earlier pandemic-era disruptions. Airlines, retailers and transportation-dependent sectors are among those adjusting operations as uncertainty around maritime access in the Persian Gulf continues.
