Iran says Strait of Hormuz open for 'friendly nations' including India

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that the Strait of Hormuz is open for "friendly nations" including China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping passage, has been choked off by the ongoing Iran war, causing losses all across the world.

Earlier, the Iranian FM said that Hormuz is only closed for "enemies and their allies". He said, “The Strait of Hormuz, from our perspective, is not completely closed — it is closed only to enemies. There is no reason to allow the ships of our enemies and their allies to pass".

As of late March 2026, two key Indian-flagged LPG tankers, Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, have successfully passed the Strait of Hormuz, with at least 20–27 other Indian vessels reportedly in the vicinity or waiting to move through amidst regional conflict.

Meanwhile, Iran has told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime ​Organization that “non-hostile vessels” may transit the Strait of Hormuz if ‌they coordinate with Iranian authorities.

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The note from Iran’s Ministry ⁠of Foreign Affairs was sent to the 15-member Security Council ​and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday. It was then circulated ​on Tuesday among the 176 members of the London-based UN shipping agency responsible for regulating the safety and security of international shipping and preventing pollution.

“Non-hostile vessels, ​including those belonging to or associated with other States, may - provided ​that they neither participate in nor support acts of aggression against Iran and ‌fully ⁠comply with the declared safety and security regulations - benefit from safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the competent Iranian authorities,” it read.

Iran has “taken necessary and proportionate measures to prevent ​the aggressors and ​their supporters from ⁠exploiting the Strait of Hormuz to advance hostile operations against Iran,” the note read, adding vessels, ​equipment, and any assets belonging to the U.S. or ​Israel, “as ⁠well as other participants in the aggression, do not qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage.”

With inputs from agencies