Several European nations have reportedly entered talks with Iran to secure access to the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state television on Saturday.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital global shipping route for oil and gas from Gulf nations. Iran closed the strait in late February in response to US-Israeli attacks, though it continues to allow passage for merchant vessels from “friendly nations.” On Thursday, Iranian authorities stated that over thirty Chinese ships had been granted access to transit the strait.
Iranian state television reported that, after granting passage to ships from East Asian countries like China, Japan, and Pakistan, European countries have begun discussions with the Revolutionary Guard to negotiate access to the strait. The identities of the European nations involved have not been disclosed.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliamentary committee on national security, announced Saturday morning that Iran is developing a “professional mechanism” to manage shipping traffic in the waterway. This system, he said, is designed primarily to benefit “partners cooperating with Iran.”
Azizi emphasised that the strait will remain closed to countries involved in "Project Freedom," a recently launched US military operation aimed at escorting blocked vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
