Iran Exempts Vessels from India, China, Iraq and Qatar in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran exempted vessels from India, China, Iraq and Qatar from the navigation restrictions currently in force in the Strait of Hormuz, although Indian and Chinese ships remain subject to the payment of transit fees. The information was disclosed by an Iranian lawmaker and picked up by various international news agencies.

Amir Hayat-Moghaddam (also transliterated as Hayat Moqaddam), deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, confirmed the measure on November 3 to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA). According to his statements, vessels from the four countries can transit the strategic waterway despite the restrictions that remain in place for commercial shipping in general, and he clarified that they are also not intercepted by US forces.

The official explained that the exceptions respond to economic and diplomatic interests on Tehran's part. In India's case, the goal is to facilitate pharmaceutical imports into that country, while the exemption granted to China seeks to secure Beijing's political backing for Iran.

Hayat-Moghaddam specified that Iran continues charging transit fees to Indian and Chinese vessels, while Qatari ships pass free of charge. The lawmaker did not clarify whether Iraqi vessels are subject to any similar type of payment.

The announcement comes after months of negotiations over access to the Strait of Hormuz, amid a context in which high security risks persist, including recent attacks on commercial vessels and the death of an Indian seafarer near Oman. The strait, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most important shipping routes given the volume of oil and gas it carries out of the Persian Gulf. The United States and Israel had launched a war against Iran on February 28, 2026, with a ceasefire in April that broke down in July after diplomatic negotiations stalled.