Iran exempts India, China, Iraq and Qatar ships from Hormuz limits

The exemptions come during the war with the US and Israel that began in late February, after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz and the US reimposed a naval blockade on Iran’s southern ports in July. Amir Hayat Moqaddam, deputy chairman of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) that ships from India, China, Iraq and Qatar pass freely and that American forces do not intercept them. He said Tehran will collect transit fees from Indian and Chinese ships, Qatari vessels pass free, and he did not say whether Iraqi ships will pay a toll. Iran will receive medicine from India and political backing from China, he said.

The exemptions are not entirely new: Iran began letting some vessels from countries it considers friendly pass within weeks of the war starting, and in April its military command said Iraq was exempt. US Central Command has said the blockade applies to all vessels entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran, while vessels avoiding Iranian ports are not affected. Analyst Wolfgang Pusztai told Al Jazeera it is unclear whether “ships of these countries” means the flag a vessel flies, its owner, its operator or another link.

Qatar-mediated talks currently center on an Iranian proposal to reopen the strait if the US meets seven conditions, including ending the blockade and lifting sanctions. More than 120 commercial ships have been hit in the region since the war began, with October the worst month, according to data from the International Maritime Organization and UK Maritime Trade Operations. On October 30, the Qatari LNG carrier Al Mayeda was struck by “unidentified objects” in the Persian Gulf, its owner Qatar Gas Transport Company said.