Iran is ready to allow Japanese-related ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which the country has closed off for most nations across the world, Kyodo news reported, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
According to the report by the news agency, Tehran is in talks with Tokyo about possibly opening the strait — a vital artery for global oil supply. Araghchi made the revelation in a phone interview to Kyodo on Friday.
Neither Japan nor Iran have officially released a statement confirming this development.
Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has sent the world to a global oil supply shock that is being dubbed as the worst in decades, as the Middle East conflict almost enters its fourth week.
Most shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been halted since the beginning of March as the US attacked Iran early this month.
Strait of Hormuz traffic drops drastically
While Iran has argued that the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway for global oil and gas transport that supplies roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil — is open to everyone but the US and its allies, traffic on the route has drastically dropped. According to maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence cited by The Associated Press, about 90 vessels passed through the strait between 1 and 15 March. Ships have been approved on a case by case basis, as per a report by Al Jazeera.
The 90 ships that passed through the Strait of Hormuz during this time were mostly flagged to India, Pakistan or China, according to the Al Jazeera report. However, the numbers have slowed due to an increased risk of attacks.
Which countries are allowed to use Strait of Hormuz?
Here is a list of countries that have successfully passed their vessels through the Strait of Hormuz as a blanket blockade threatens energy crisis across the globe —
- India: Two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas bound for ports in western India have already been allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian authorities, with Iran’s ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali and Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, confirming the news separately. On 12 March, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, officials said they began talks on 24 ships, then stranded to the west of Hormuz. According to a new Reuters report on Saturday, two more Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tankers are preparing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz in coming days. The Indian-flagged LPG tankers Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, which are anchored near the United Arab Emirates hub of Sharjah within the Gulf, broadcast that they were preparing for a voyage, MarineTraffic ship-tracking data showed on Friday.
- Pakistan: Pakistan is one of the few countries whose vessels are being allowed by Iran to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. A Pakistani-flagged oil tanker, Karachi, successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz on 15 March, Bloomberg News reported. Data showed that the vessel sailing along the Iranian side of the strait before turning east toward Pakistan.
- China: Iran has largely avoided attacking ships with flags of China at the Strait of Hormuz. Dozens of vessels broadcasting AIS for China are being allowed to pass through the waterway, according to a report by CNBC, which said that it indicates an unofficial green signal for the east Asian country. More than one-fifth of the 89 vessels that passed through the strait till 15 Mach were believed to be Iran-affiliated, while Chinese and Greece affiliated ships are among the rest
- Turkey: A Turkish-flagged ship that was waiting in the Iranian waters was given the green signal to use the Strait of Hormuz after authorities received permission from Tehran, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said recently. “Fifteen ships [with Turkish owners] were there. We obtained permission from the Iranian authorities for one of them that had used an Iranian port, and it passed,” Uraloglu said.
- Japan: While no Japanese ship has passed through the Strait of Hormuz yet, reports suggest that Iran is ready to allow the country to use the waterway to move its vessels.
- Korea: South Korea is speaking to several countries including Iran to ensure that the key shipping route that passes through the Strait of Hormuz is normalised even as the West Asia Conflict is poised to enter its fourth week. According to Yonhap, the Korean government is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East while exploring ways to protect its citizens and secure energy transport routes. Yonhap quoted an official as saying, “We are communicating actively with relevant countries, including Iran.”
- France and Italy: A Financial Times report citing officials in the know suggested that France and Italy have requested talks with Iran about letting their ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
