Why Iran is giving Indian ships a free pass through Strait of Hormuz
Iran has exempted ships from India, China, Iraq and Qatar from Strait of Hormuz curbs, with a lawmaker saying the move helps medicine imports from India
PTC Web Desk: Iran has exempted merchant ships from India, China, Iraq and Qatar from its restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz and one of its senior lawmakers says the move is meant to help India’s medicine shipments reach Iran.
Amir Hayat-Moghaddam, deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said vessels from the four countries could pass freely through the waterway. He added that US forces were not stopping them either.
In an interview with the Iranian Students’ News Agency on Tuesday, he said Iran had exempted India, China, Iraq and Qatar from transit restrictions in the strait. Ships from these countries move without hindrance and the Americans do not intercept them, he said.
Speaking in Farsi, he suggested the exemptions serve Iran’s own interests. Indian ships were being allowed through so that medicines could be imported from India, while the exemption for Chinese ships was meant to secure Beijing’s political support, he said.
Hayat-Moghaddam said Iran charges transit fees to Indian and Chinese vessels but lets Qatari ships pass free of charge. He did not say whether Iraqi vessels pay any fee.
Why the strait matters to India
India imports nearly 90 per cent of its crude oil and about 30 per cent of these imports currently pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The share was once as high as 70 per cent, but it has come down as New Delhi has diversified its purchases since the West Asia conflict began. It now buys from Russia, the US, West Africa and Fujairah in the UAE.
Dependence on the route remains heavy for other supplies. Around 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports and more than half of its LNG imports from Qatar and the UAE go through the strait. It is also important for fertiliser imports.
After Iran closed the strait and restricted merchant shipping, India has repeatedly called for uninterrupted energy supplies and freedom of navigation in international waters.
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