Iran has informed members of the International Maritime Organization that it will allow what it calls “non-hostile” shipping to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
In a letter circulated to the 176 member states of the United Nations body, Iran said that vessels owned by or linked to the United States, Israel and “other participants in the aggression” do not “qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage.”
Iran’s threat of missile, drone and mine attacks has effectively closed off shipping in the strait, which normally carries about 20% of the world’s oil and natural-gas supplies.
The Islamic Republic seems to have allowed a small number of ships to pass through since the United States and Israel began military operations at the end of February, though thousands remain unable to transit in the face of potential attacks and prohibitively high maritime insurance costs.
It’s unclear how many ships might be eligible for Iran’s offer of passage to “non-hostile” shipping.
Oil tankers are frequently owned and operated through complex corporate structures that might involve companies in the United States, Israel or any number of countries that Iran has accused of “aggression” since the conflict began. In previous rounds of regional conflict, the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen claimed that their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea targeted “Israeli” vessels that had little or no meaningful connection to Israel.
A copy of an Iranian foreign ministry communique, dated March 22 and published by Al Monitor on Tuesday, said any ships hoping to take advantage of the Iranian offer would have to do so “in coordination with the competent Iranian authorities.”
