Iran confirms safe passage to Indian ships thorugh Strait of Hormuz

WIONEWS - Amid the escalating war in West Asia, with crude prices on tenterhooks, Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, on Friday (Mar 13) confirmed that Tehran will provide safe passage to vessels bound for India through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the long-standing friendship and shared interests between the two countries.

Replying to a query in Delhi about whether Iran would allow ships headed to India safe transit through the Strait, Fathali stated, “Yes, because India and Iran are friends. You can see in the future, I think after two or three hours,” adding that, “We believe that Iran and India are friends. We have common interests; we have a common fate,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

He further stated that Tehran has directed its embassy in India to facilitate the Indian government, ensuring smooth operations amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

Explainer: What is the Strait of Hormuz? How will its closure impact oil prices? Click here to read more

These remarks come amid rising concerns over disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for shipping of nearly 25 per cent of the world’s oil supply and more than 40 per cent of India’s crude oil imports.

Earlier in the day, Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, said that his country never wanted the Strait to be blocked, but noted that “some ships are still passing”.

“Iran has not closed the Strait. It remains open; however, due to current conditions and circumstances, ships are unable to pass through Hormuz. Otherwise, Iran never wanted the Strait to be closed or blocked. Some ships are still passing through,” he told reporters in Delhi.

He called on global leaders to push US President Donald Trump to stop the war against his country, saying people across the world are suffering due to rising energy prices.

“Those who initiated this war are the very ones who must stop it... Many people across the world are suffering due to this war. World leaders must unite and exert pressure on the President of the United States, urging him to put an immediate stop to this unjust war,” he added.

The war in West Asia significantly escalated following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in joint US-Israeli strikes on the opening day of military operations against the Islamic Republic.

In retaliation, Tehran targeted US military bases across Gulf nations and launched missile and drone strikes on key installations, including refineries in these countries. Iran also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a spike in oil prices across the world.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday said Washington was ready to maintain freedom of navigation in the Strait.

“As the world is seeing, they are exercising sheer desperation in the Strait of Hormuz—something we’re dealing with; we have been dealing with it. Don’t need to worry about it.”

He blamed Tehran for disrupting shipping traffic, saying, “The only thing prohibiting transit in the Strait right now is Iran shooting at shipping.”