From France to India: Who is Iran allowing through the Strait of Hormuz?

Vessels linked to India, France, Turkey and Iraq are among those that have transited the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, signaling limited movement amid the ongoing blockade. Yet dozens of ships remain stranded there as US President Donald Trump reiterated that Iran must reopen the strategic waterway by Tuesday or suffer the consequences.

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to most ships in early March after US and Israeli strikes launched the ongoing war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said ships from “friendly nations” could cross, naming China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan.

Iran’s semiofficial Fars News Agency reported on Sunday that 15 ships had transited through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, while The Associated Press reported on March 18 that about 90 ships, including oil tankers, had crossed the strait since the start of the war. Data from the shipping tracker MarineTraffic showed dozens of vessels congregated along the coasts of Arab Gulf states on Monday. 

According to UNCTAD, ship traffic through the strait fell sharply from about 130 daily transits in February to only six in March, a decline of nearly 95%.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian parliament, said last month that Iran is charging some vessels $2 million to pass through the strait. It was unclear which of the ships that have made the journey so far, if any, had paid the fee.

Trump has set a deadline of 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday for Iran to fully reopen the strait, saying in a Truth Social post on Monday that the United States would hit power plants and bridges should Tehran not comply. 

An Iranian official told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that Iran would allow ships from friendly states to sail through Hormuz in exchange for security fees, saying that several Indian, Pakistani, Turkish and French ships had already received passage permits. 

Ships affiliated with the following countries have either sailed through the strait or received permission to do so since Iran announced the closure. 

India

Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tankers exited the Gulf on Monday, carrying fuel to India, while a third is still west of the strait, Reuters reported. 

Local media outlets, such as The Indian Express and NDTV, reported on Saturday that eight Indian vessels have passed the strait since the war began. 

India and Iran maintain cordial ties and signed a $370 million deal in 2024 for an Indian firm to operate the Iranian port in Chabahar, though a US sanction exemption for the project was revoked earlier this year. 

Pakistan

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said late last month that Iran had agreed to allow 20 more ships flying Pakistan’s flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. It is unclear how many Pakistani ships had gone through before his announcement.

Dar has been heavily involved in passing messages between the United States and Iran during the war. 

China

In the first half of March, 11 China-linked vessels sailed through Hormuz, CNBC reported, citing data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence. The ships were mostly cargo carriers, according to the outlet. 

China has called for a ceasefire throughout the current conflict, refraining from offering direct support to Iran. China is the main buyer of Iranian oil, purchasing more than 80% of Iran’s exports, according to multiple reports. 

Turkey

Turkey’s transport and infrastructure minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, said on Monday that a third Turkish-owned crude oil vessel had traversed the Strait of Hormuz since the war started. The first vessel passed sometime in March, while the second did so on Sunday, according to the minister.  

NATO has intercepted four missiles aimed at Turkey since the start of the war, though Ankara has refrained from getting involved in the conflict. 

Iraq

An oil tanker carrying around 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil exited the Gulf on Sunday, Bloomberg reported. 

The Hormuz crisis has heavily impacted Iraq, with oil production falling to 1.4 million barrels per day in March, compared with 4.15 million bpd in February. Iraq has restarted oil flows to Turkey and sent fuel to Syria’s Bainyas port in an attempt to keep its exports going. 

Oman

Reuters reported on April 3 that three Omani-operated tankers had passed Hormuz since the day before. 

Oman, which is historically neutral, was mediating between the United States and Iran before the current war began. Oman has been targeted a number of times in the fighting, presumably by Iran, and oil storage facilities at the Salalah Port were hit last month. 

France

A Maltese-flagged ship belonging to the French giant CMA CGM passed through Hormuz last week, Agence France-Presse reported. The ship was likely the first from Europe to traverse the waterway since the war began, according to the outlet. 

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for calm amid the war and said last week that a military operation to reopen Hormuz is “unrealistic.” 

Japan

Reuters and Bloomberg reported on April 3 that a Japanese tanker passed through Hormuz. 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited the White House for talks with Trump last month. 

Russia

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told state media last week, “For us, Hormuz is open,” though there have been no confirmed Russian ships sailing through the strait. 

Russia has been accused of helping Iran in the war, and The Washington Post reported last month that Moscow had provided Iran with intelligence to target US forces in the region. Russia has denied sharing intel with Iran on such matters. 

Malaysia

The Iranian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur said on Monday that the first Malaysian ship had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. 

Malaysia is a key transit point for Iranian oil exports to China. 

Philippines 

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said last week that Iran would allow “safe, unhindered and expeditious” passage of Filipino-flagged ships, as well as ships carrying Filipino energy sources and sailors. 

The news followed a call between Araghchi and his Filipino counterpart, Tess Lazaro. 

At least some attempts by countries not listed as "friendly" by Iran to sail through Hormuz have met with failure. Two ships carrying liquefied natural gas from Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility turned around on Monday after previously sailing east toward the strait, according to reports. It was not immediately clear why the ships turned back.