The move aims to facilitate medicine imports from India and secure political support from China, according to an Iranian official.
Iran has exempted merchant vessels from India, China, Iraq and Qatar from transit restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports by Hindustan Times and WION. Amir Hayat-Moghaddam, the deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, stated that ships from these four nations can navigate the waterway freely without being intercepted by the US.
Speaking to the Iranian Students' News Agency on Tuesday, Hayat-Moghaddam said the exemption for Indian ships is intended to help import medicines. He noted that the measure for Chinese shipping is meant to secure political support from Beijing. He added that while Iran collects transit fees from Indian and Chinese vessels, Qatari ships are permitted to pass without charges.
The strategic waterway is vital for India, as 90 per cent of its LPG imports and over 50 per cent of its LNG imports from Qatar and the UAE transit the strait. Currently, about 30 per cent of India's crude oil imports pass through the area, a figure that has declined from 70 per cent as New Delhi diversifies its sources.
The announcement comes as the region faces ongoing maritime instability. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) reported at least 70 attacks on merchant ships between February and August, resulting in 19 deaths. In the West Asia conflict, 24 Indians have been killed, including 15 seafarers.
