Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleIran's former minister proposes control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit route, amid rising regional tensions.
DUBAI (Reuters) -Former Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi has said that tankers and LNG cargoes should only transit the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian permission and this policy should be carried out from "tomorrow [Wednesday] for a hundred days."
It was not immediately clear whether Khandouzi was echoing a plan under the Iranian establishment's consideration or sharing his personal opinion.
Tehran has long used the threat of blocking the narrow waterway as a means to ward off Western pressure, without acting on its threats. The stakes have risen since Israel launched an air war on Iran last week after concluding the latter was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains its nuclear programme is purely for civilian purposes.
"This policy [of controlling maritime transit in the Strait]is decisive if implemented on time. Any delay in carrying it out means prolonging war inside the country," Khandouzi posted on X on Tuesday.
Iran's Oil Ministry and Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Khandouzi was economy minister until the summer of last year in the cabinet of late President Ebrahim Raisi and remains close to the Iranian establishment's hardliners.
The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran and is the primary export route for Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Kuwait.
About 20% of the world’s daily oil consumption — around 18 million barrels — passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which is only about 33 km (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom;Editing by Alison Williams and Bernadette Baum)
Ehsan Khandouzi proposed that tankers and LNG cargoes should only transit the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian permission, emphasizing the need for decisive policy implementation.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway through which about 20% of the world’s daily oil consumption passes, making it vital for Gulf producers like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Iran has long used the threat of blocking the Strait of Hormuz as a means to deter Western pressure, although it has not acted on these threats in the past.
Ehsan Khandouzi served as Iran's Economy Minister until the summer of the previous year and is known to be close to the hardliners within the Iranian establishment.
Khandouzi warned that any delay in implementing the policy of controlling maritime transit could prolong internal conflict within Iran.
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