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Inside Iran's Selective Strait of Hormuz Blockade: Friendly Nations ...
Iran has begun selectively allowing oil and cargo vessels from certain countries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, offering rare relief to a handful of import-dependent nations even as it maintains an effective chokehold on one of the world’s most critical energy routes.The latest to secure passage is the Philippines, which said Tehran has pledged safe transit for its oil shipments as Manila grapples with a deepening fuel crisis triggered by the ongoing Middle East war. The move underscores how access to the strait is now being shaped by geopolitical alignments rather than open maritime norms.Traffic through Hormuz remains drastically reduced. Since early March, vessel movement has dropped to a fraction of normal levels, with just 142 ships transiting the waterway — roughly what would typically pass in a single day, according to maritime data cited by Lloyd’s List.Which countries are being allowed through?PhilippinesThe Philippines has emerged as the latest country to secure safe passage. Manila said Iran has pledged to allow oil shipments to transit through the strait, offering a critical lifeline to the import-dependent nation of 116 million people as it navigates a fuel emergency.IndiaIndia has been explicitly named among Iran’s “friendly nations” allowed passage. Multiple LPG and crude shipments — including vessels such as Jag Vasant, Pine Gas, Shivalik and Nanda Devi — have successfully crossed the strait in recent weeks, easing concerns over supply disruptions.ChinaChinese-linked vessels account for a notable share of the limited traffic still moving through Hormuz. Around 10 per cent of ships that managed to pass were Chinese-owned or affiliated, according to shipping data. Beijing has also called for a ceasefire and stability in the Gulf.RussiaIran has formally authorised Russian vessels to use the strait for commercial shipping, reinforcing growing alignment between the two countries amid the conflict.PakistanPakistan has been included in Iran’s list of permitted countries. A tanker successfully crossed the strait in mid-March, although another vessel was later turned back for not complying with Iranian protocols. Following diplomatic discussions, Pakistan secured an agreement for vessels to cross the strait, according to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.IraqAfter negotiations with Tehran, Iraq has been designated a “friendly nation”, allowing Iraqi-linked vessels to transit the waterway.MalaysiaMalaysia has said its ships will be granted...
Can the U.S. wrest Strait of Hormuz from Iran, a regional military ...
The war in Iran has dragged on for more than a month, with no clear resolution in sight as additional U.S. troops are headed to the region. Thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division have started arriving in the Middle East, Reuters reported on Monday, as U.S. President Donald Trump weighs his next steps in the war against Iran.The paratroopers, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., add to the thousands of additional sailors, Marines and Special Operations forces sent to the region. Over the weekend, about 2,500 Marines arrived in the Middle East.This comes as the Wall Street Journal is reporting Trump is mulling an additional 10,000 troops in the region and the Washington Post said the Pentagon is preparing for “weeks of ground operations in Iran.”However, some experts are warning that a sustained ground invasion of Iran would be a tall order, even for the U.S. military. Story continues below advertisement “For context, the invasion of Iraq in 2003 saw around 150,000 coalition forces during the initial invasion. The United States does not have that in theatre at the moment,” said Alexander Salt, senior researcher and managing editor at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute based in Ottawa. 6:06 Iran is running the Strait of Hormuz like a ‘toll booth’: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy expert While the success of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela may have emboldened Trump, the difference between Iran and Venezuela’s military capabilities is like “night and day,” Salt added.“The Iranian military is certainly more capable of striking back at U.S. forces than the Venezuelans ever were,” he added.For one, Iran has one of the largest militaries in the world.According to some estimates, Iran had 570,000 active-duty troops as of 2023 and 350,000 reserve troops, bringing the total to just under a million pairs of boots. This is in additional to paramilitary forces. Story continues below advertisement “It’s quite a large military apparatus and it’s still intact. There is a chain of command,” said Kevin Budning, director of scientific research at the CDA Institute.“It’s really about the cost of war, so who’s [got] the stomach to prolong this action and to continue the fighting,” he said, adding that the war is “absolutely existential” for Iran’s regime.“The Iranian strategy is very clearly to keep taking punishment for as long as they can and wait for the Americans to move on,” Salt said.In addition to around a million troops, Iran has a ...
Russia, China, France veto UNSC resolution to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Arab nations, led by Bahrain, seeking UN Security Council authorisation for military intervention to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have faced a major setback as Russia, China and France vetoed the proposed resolution. The strategic Strait of Hormuz—through which approximately 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas supplies transit—was closed by Iran on 28 February 2026 amid escalating ...
Iran Says It Will Oversee Strait of Hormuz Traffic, Even in Peacetime
The United States says Iran's claims to control the strait are illegal, but Tehran has made escalating assertions of authority over the vital waterway.
