Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 24, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 24, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleIran has informed IMO members that “non‑hostile” ships may transit the Strait of Hormuz if coordinated with Tehran, but vessels linked to the U.S., Israel or their allies are not permitted, amid a near‑halt in oil and LNG flows due to the US–Israeli war.
March 24 (Reuters) - Iran has told International Maritime Organization member states that "non-hostile vessels" may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing a letter.
The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has all but halted shipments of about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz, causing oil supply disruption.
In the letter circulated among IMO members on Tuesday, Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran had “taken necessary and proportionate measures to prevent the aggressors and their supporters from exploiting the Strait of Hormuz to advance hostile operations against Iran,” the newspaper said.
Tehran said in the letter that vessels linked to the U.S. and Israel, as well as "other participants in the aggression, do not qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage," the FT said.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
The London-based U.N. shipping agency is responsible for regulating the safety and security of international shipping and preventing pollution, and comprises 176 member states.
(Reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru and Mrinmay Dey in Mexico City; Editing by Mark Porter and Daniel Wallis)
Iran says non-hostile vessels may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities.
Vessels linked to the U.S., Israel, and other participants in aggression do not qualify for passage.
The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has nearly halted shipments of about one-fifth of the world's oil and LNG.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a U.N. agency with 176 member states, regulates safety and security.
Ships must coordinate with Iranian authorities and be considered non-hostile to safely transit the Strait.
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