By Benoit Faucon
Iran allows transit through the Strait of Hormuz for vessels that have coordinated with the Islamic Republic and that are not owned by Tehran's enemies, an Iranian official was quoted as saying Sunday, despite repeated attacks on ships sailing through the strategic waterway.
The strait is "open to everyone" except Iran's adversaries, Tehran's permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, Ali Mousavi, told the Mehr news agency, which is affiliated with Iranian security services.
Iran has previously said its foes are the U.S., Israel and their allies, without naming them all, and that the transit of ships from those countries is banned.
The number of transits through the strait has fallen to seven a week compared with typically around 100 before the war, according to commodities-data provider Kpler. While most ships now passing are Iranian oil tankers, others have included a cargo of crude loaded in the United Arab Emirates and bound for Pakistan.
A bulk carrier reported an explosion from an unknown projectile Sunday, some 15 nautical miles north of Sharjah, a U.A.E. port city near the Strait, said the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations, which is affiliated to the British Navy.
Iran has been collecting a $2 million transit fee from some ships passing through Hormuz, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the national security and foreign policy commission in Iran's parliament, told state broadcaster IRIB Sunday. His claim couldn't be verified.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 22, 2026 07:45 ET (11:45 GMT)
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