Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—which had previously slowed due to conflict—has begun to show signs of recovery, according to international media reports.
Authorities in Iran have reportedly granted permission for 20 vessels flying the Pakistan flag to pass through the strategic waterway. It is understood that approximately two vessels per day are being allowed transit.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has welcomed the move, describing it as a positive step by Iran.
According to global ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic, two Chinese container vessels en route to Port Klang in Malaysia successfully crossed the strait on March 30.
In addition, two Indian vessels carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) also navigated the route over the past weekend, reportedly to address a gas shortage in India. This follows a recent agreement reached between India and Iran approximately two weeks ago.
Analysts suggest that Iran is adopting a selective access strategy—permitting only certain vessels rather than enforcing a complete closure of the strait.
Iran has further emphasized that vessels belonging to countries without direct ties to the United States or Israel are being allowed passage.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had informed him about the approval granted to Pakistani vessels. However, Iran has not yet issued an official confirmation regarding this claim.
English (United States) ·