In a major geopolitical development amidst ongoing Middle Eastern hostilities, Iran has granted special passage exemptions to commercial vessels from India, China, Iraq, and Qatar navigating through the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz. The decision comes in the immediate aftermath of political shifts in Washington following the US midterm elections, according to a report by Indian news outlet NDTV on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Confirming the policy shift, Amir Hayat Moghaddam, Vice-President of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, stated that granting access to Indian vessels will facilitate the smooth import of essential pharmaceutical drugs into Iran. Meanwhile, exempting Chinese shipping secures Beijing's crucial economic and diplomatic backing. Moghaddam affirmed that commercial ships from these four nations can now transit without impediment, and US forces are not interfering with their movement.
Read nextHouthis Demand $51 Billion and Governance Recognition from Saudi Arabia for Ceasefire, Reports Wall Street JournalHowever, NDTV noted that the exemption allows navigation rights but does not waive mandatory transit fees, meaning vessels must still pay required passage tariffs to Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz normally handles approximately 20% of global energy supply, but maritime transport was severely disrupted following joint US-Israeli military strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, and subsequent retaliatory blockades. The maritime escalation has taken a heavy toll, with at least 15 Indian seafarers killed in regional shipping attacks since February, including one death aboard the commercial vessel MSV Al Jusufi near Lima, Oman.
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Reported by International Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
