Tehran, Nov 5:
Iran has exempted commercial vessels from four nations—India, China, Iraq, and Qatar—from maritime transit restrictions in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, easing commercial shipping logjams triggered by regional tensions.
Amir Hayat Moghadam, Deputy Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, confirmed the decision to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA). “We have currently exempted four countries – 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.
Moghadam clarified that transit remains subject to conditions, noting that Iran collects transit fees from Indian and Chinese vessels, whereas Qatari ships pass without charges.
Iranian officials indicated that allowing Indian commercial vessels through the strait is vital to maintaining essential medical and pharmaceutical supplies from India.