Iran will allow the transit of “non-hostile vessels” through the Strait of Hormuz, it told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organization.
Iran clarified that shipments belonging to the United States or Israel will not be allowed to pass through the narrow strait, according to a report by Reuters. Also, ships involved in aggression against Iran will not be allowed, it said.
On Sunday, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent a note about the development to the 15-member Security Council and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The note was then circulated on Tuesday among the 176 members of the London-based United Nations shipping agency. The agency is 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.
The note further added that 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.”
It categorically said that any vessels, equipment, and assets belonging to the United States or Israel, “as well as other participants in the aggression, do not qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage.”
The development comes as United States President Donald Trump has stepped up efforts to bring Iran to the discussion table. He is also reported to have prepared a 15-point truce agreement, which includes the condition of opening the strait for trade.
The agreement also proposes lifting sanctions on Iran. The Strait of Hormuz has become the focal point of the United States-Israel-Iran war, as its choking has caused oil prices to shoot up to their four-year high.
The strait alone caters to about 20 percent of the world’s fuel trade.
