Iran allows Indian ships to transit Strait of Hormuz under special exemption

Iran has allowed ships from India, China, Iraq and Qatar to transit the Strait of Hormuz without facing wider shipping restrictions, according to a senior Iranian lawmaker.

Anadolu Agency reported the development on Tuesday, November 3, citing the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), which quoted Amir Hayat Moqaddam, deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

“We have currently exempted India, China, Iraq and Qatar from transit restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. Ships from these countries pass freely, and the Americans do not intercept them either,” Moqaddam said.

He said the exemptions were intended to serve Iran’s interests. Allowing Indian vessels to pass would facilitate medicine imports from India, while the arrangement for Chinese ships was aimed at securing political support from Beijing.

Moqaddam said Indian and Chinese ships were required to pay transit fees. Qatari vessels, however, could cross without charges. He did not specify the arrangements for Iraqi ships.

The decision is significant for India's energy security. Around 30 per cent of India's crude oil imports currently pass through the strait, down from about 70 per cent previously. Nearly 90 per cent of its LPG imports and more than half of its LNG purchases from Qatar and the UAE also transit the waterway.

The shipping crisis has also claimed the lives of Indian seafarers. On November 2, an Indian sailor was killed after the Indian-crewed vessel MSV Al Jusufi was struck by an unidentified aerial object near Limah, Oman. The remaining 13 crew members were rescued by Omani authorities.

Three Indian sailors were killed in an attack on the tanker MT Settebello in June. Another died when MV Cape Dao was attacked near Oman in September. In October, 11 Indian crew members were injured when MT On Peace was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran tightened restrictions on maritime traffic following US-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026. It announced the closure of the strait on March 2, disrupting commercial shipping and forcing several operators to suspend or reroute voyages.