Amid fresh hostilities in West Asia — US struck Iranian targets as recently as Monday (November 2) — Tehran has revealed an exemption for shipping traffic from four countries, including India and China, to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

The key maritime chokepoint of Hormuz is currently facing double blockades. The critical chokepoint handled a fifth of global fuel supply before Iran shut it after joint US and Israeli strikes on February 28. The US later announced its own blockade for ships moving to or from Iranian ports.

But with the hostilities continuing for over 8 months, Tehran has exempted commercial ships from certain countries from transit restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Why Iran exempted Indian and Chinese ships

A top Iranian official announced the exemption to vessels, with certain expectations in return.

Amir Hayat Moghadam, Deputy Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, gave an interview to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) on…