Iran’s “Friendly Nation” List for the Safe Hormuz Passage includes India and five other countries.

Iran has declared that India will continue to have access to the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz despite the intensifying Middle East crisis, marking a significant diplomatic success. Since the United States and Israel began a war against Iran last month, Iran has taken control of the waterway, the tiny opening of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil is typically delivered.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the Strait is not entirely blocked in an interview with Iranian State TV, despite allegations made by Western media.

“Many of the shipowners, or the countries that own these vessels, have contacted us and requested that we ensure their safe passage through the strait. For some of these countries that we consider friendly, or in cases where we have decided to do so for other reasons, our armed forces have provided safe passage,” Araghchi said, according to a report by Reuters. 

“You have seen on the news: China, Russia, Pakistan, Iraq, and India. Two of its ships passed through a few nights ago, and some other countries, and even Bangladesh, I believe. These are countries that spoke with us and coordinated with us, and this will continue in the future as well, even after the war,” he added. 

Additionally, Araghchi said that ships connected to nations viewed as enemies or those engaged in the current battle would not be let to enter. He declared that ships from the US, Israel, and some Gulf countries involved in the current situation will not be allowed to pass through the strait.

“We are in a state of war. The region is a war zone, and there is no reason to allow the ships of our enemies and their allies to pass through. But it remains open to others,” he said on Wednesday. 

Notably, Iran prevented a container ship headed for Pakistan from passing through the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the ship SELEN, which was traveling from the Sharjah anchorage in the United Arab Emirates to Karachi, had to change its direction at the entry to the vital waterways because it lacked transit authorization.

Iran uses missiles and drones to attack ships in order to keep its grip on the Strait. Fuel shortages are happening all over the world as a result of the conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas being effectively closed. Companies ranging from airlines to supermarkets and used car dealers are facing difficulties like growing costs, declining demand, and disrupted supply chains. 

Support measures that were previously employed during the COVID pandemic are being considered by several countries. Tehran retaliated with strikes throughout the region and severely restricted passage to the strait when the conflict began with the bombing of Iran by the United States and Israel. As a result, the daily flow of energy across the vital rivers decreased by 95%.