Ships from Pakistan, China and India have begun transiting the Strait of Hormuz in limited numbers, even as overall maritime traffic remains significantly lower following the Middle East conflict.
Pakistan said Iran had allowed 20 of its flagged vessels to pass through the key shipping route, with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stating that two ships would be permitted to transit daily.
“This is a welcome and constructive gesture by Iran and deserves appreciation,” Dar said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump told the Financial Times that Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf had authorised the passage of Pakistani ships, although Iran has not confirmed the claim.
Shipping data from Marine Traffic showed that two large Chinese container vessels crossed the Strait on Monday (30) and are now en route to Port Klang in Malaysia.
The tracking service also reported that several vessels had previously passed into the Indian Ocean by sailing close to the Iranian coast.
“Iran appears to be pursuing a calibrated strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, using selective vessel passage as strategic signalling rather than imposing full disruption,” Marine Traffic said.
Two Indian vessels transporting liquefied petroleum gas were among those that crossed the Strait over the weekend, and their transit comes after a recent understanding between Iran and India that permits Indian-flagged tankers to use the route.
Iran has indicated that passage through the Strait will continue to be allowed for ships that are not linked to countries supporting the United States or Israel. (NewsWire)