India gets Hormuz passage exemption from Iran amid shipping crisis

Iran has exempted vessels from India, China, Iraq and Qatar from restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with a senior Iranian lawmaker saying the arrangement is linked to Tehran's interests with the four countries. The announcement could offer some relief to Indian shipping at a time when the strategic waterway has been caught up in the conflict between Iran, the US and Israel.

Amir Hayat Moqaddam, deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, disclosed the exemptions in an interview with the Iranian Students’ News Agency on Tuesday.

"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, as quoted by local media.

Moqaddam said the arrangement was based on mutual interests. He specifically linked the exemption for Indian vessels to Iran's need to import medicines from India, while the arrangement for Chinese ships was intended to secure Beijing's political support. - Ends