India's 2 Tankers Have Passed Through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Foreign Minister: Will Only Block US and Israeli Vessels

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri clearly states: The Strait of Hormuz is fully open to all ships except those from the U.S. and Israel; India has already successfully passed two oil tankers carrying over 90,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas, expected to arrive in India on the 16th and 17th.
(Background: Iran claims that “expelling U.S. and Israeli ambassadors” allows safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz—an unprecedented diplomatic coercion)
(Additional context: Trump calls on China, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and France to send warships for escort—Will the U.S. military provide escort?)

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• Indian oil tanker leads the way: 92,700 tons of LPG have passed through the strait
• Three-step retreat in stance: from “full blockade” to “blocking only the U.S. and Israel”
• Insurance market remains the biggest obstacle

On the 14th, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in an interview with NBC’s MS NOW, clarified the ongoing concerns about the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, softening his tone significantly from previous statements.

He explicitly stated: “In fact, the Strait of Hormuz is open. This passage is only closed to oil tankers and ships that belong to our enemies—those attacking us and our allies. Others are free to pass.”

Regarding the current situation where multiple ships are unwilling to pass due to “security concerns,” Araghchi said this has nothing to do with Iran, emphasizing it is a decision made independently by shipowners or insurance companies.

Indian oil tanker leads the way: 92,700 tons of LPG have passed through the strait

Concrete evidence supports these statements. Sinha, Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, confirmed that two Indian-flagged oil tankers loaded with liquefied petroleum gas have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, with a total cargo of 92,700 tons, expected to arrive at Indian ports on March 16 and 17.

Iran’s ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, also confirmed that Iran has permitted some Indian ships to pass. Previously, Indian Prime Minister Modi had directly spoken with the Iranian President, and bilateral diplomatic efforts paved the way for this passage.

Turkey also negotiated bilateral agreements to obtain passage permits, indicating that “individual negotiations for passage” have become the main strategy for countries responding to the current situation.

Three-step retreat in stance: from “full blockade” to “blocking only the U.S. and Israel”

Compared to the tough rhetoric at the start of the conflict, Iran’s recent signals are noticeably more moderate.

Initially, the Revolutionary Guard Navy commander claimed the strait was “under control,” with deliberately vague language; later, Iran proposed more radical conditions: only countries that expel U.S. or Israeli ambassadors could be allowed to pass, which was described as “unprecedented diplomatic extortion.”

Now, Araghchi’s statement has retreated further: the target exclusions are limited to the U.S. and Israel, effectively opening the strait to over 190 other countries. Some analysts interpret this as a “substantive softening under Trump’s military threats.”

On the same day (March 14), Trump also publicly called on China, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and France to send warships for escort on Truth Social, exerting external pressure on allies.

Insurance market remains the biggest obstacle

However, diplomatic language easing does not mean immediate recovery in shipping markets. Many shipowners and shipping companies have admitted that even with Iran’s official statement of openness, international insurance companies are still generally refusing to cover routes through the Strait of Hormuz, with war risk premiums soaring to astronomical levels, making actual passage risks difficult to quantify.

As a critical chokepoint where about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas is transported, the status of the Strait directly impacts the global energy supply chain. While India’s successful case is symbolic, whether it can inspire more countries to follow suit and restore normal order in the strait remains to be seen.