Iran allowing more ships through Strait of Hormuz: state TV

TEHRAN: The naval forces of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are allowing more ships to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, state television said Friday, after Tehran blocked the waterway following US-Israeli strikes.

Since the outbreak of war on February 28, Iran has largely blocked shipping through the strait, while days later the United States imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports to pressure Tehran.

“More vessels can now pass through the Strait of Hormuz with the coordination of the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” or IRGC, a state TV reporter said from the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.

“This indicates that many countries have accepted the new legal protocols that Iran and the IRGC naval forces have established in this region and in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The report came a day after state TV said more than 30 ships were allowed by the Guards to pass through the key trade route.

The Strait of Hormuz in peacetime accounts for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, along with other key commodities.

Iran’s grip over the waterway and the rival US blockade of Iranian ports have unsettled global markets despite a fragile ceasefire in place since April 8.

Iran’s control over the strait remains one of the key sticking points in negotiations with the United States, which have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.

Iranian lawmakers have also discussed proposals for tighter control over the strait, including levying charges on any passing ships.

Last month, Iranian deputy speaker of parliament Hamidreza Hajibabaei said Tehran had received its first revenues from tolls imposed on vessels crossing the strait.