Iran exempts Iraq, three countries from Hormuz restrictions

Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran has exempted Iraq, India, China and Qatar from shipping restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, allowing vessels from the four countries to pass freely through the strategic waterway, Iranian parliamentary official Ahmad Hayat-Moghaddam said on Tuesday.

Speaking during a meeting on economic and security developments, Hayat-Moghaddam, deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the exemptions were currently in effect. “Their vessels move freely, and the Americans do not interfere with them.”

Hayat-Moghaddam said Iran did not charge Qatar transit fees, while Indian and Chinese vessels remained subject to charges.

"We are making deals, and each exemption has a specific reason," he said, explaining that India's exemption was intended to facilitate medicine imports into Iran, while China's was aimed at securing Beijing's political support.

Iraq had previously received an exemption from Iranian restrictions on shipping through the strait. In April, Iraqi oil tankers resumed passage through the waterway after Tehran announced that the restrictions would not apply to Iraqi shipments.