Iran exempts Indian vessels from Strait of Hormuz transit restrictions
The exemption aims to facilitate the import of medicines from India into Iran, according to a senior Iranian lawmaker.
Iran has exempted vessels from India from transit restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by the Times of India on Tuesday. Ahmad Hayat-Moghaddam, the vice-chairman of the national security and foreign policy committee of the Iranian parliament, stated that India, China, Iraq, and Qatar have been granted these exemptions.
Hayat-Moghaddam said the decision to allow Indian ships to pass through the waterway was intended to enable the import of medicines from India. He noted that the arrangement for Chinese vessels was meant to secure political support from Beijing and added that Tehran collects money from both Indian and Chinese ships.
The announcement follows attacks on merchant shipping in the region that have resulted in 23 deaths, including Indian seafarers. In a recent incident, the Indian-flagged dhow MSV Al-Jusufi was struck by an unidentified aerial object near the coast of Oman, resulting in the death of Gandhar Nahim Ajij, a sailor from Gujarat.
India has called for immediate de-escalation and the restoration of free navigation through international waterways. While the Directorate General of Shipping previously advised against sending Indian nationals through the Strait of Hormuz, the advisory was not binding. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India stated that more than 4,000 Indian sailors are currently aboard vessels in the region.
