TEHRAN — Iran will allow “non-enemy” ships to pass the Straits of Hormuz, provided they make prior arrangements, the republic’s representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said.
Ali Mousavi said that ships, except those from “enemies”, can pass the strait if they coordination with Iranian authorities for security and safety arrangements, Bernama reported the Mehr news agency saying.
Iran is also ready to cooperate with the IMO and other countries to enhance maritime safety and protect seafarers, Ali added.
“Diplomacy remains Iran’s priority. However, a complete cessation of aggression as well as mutual trust and confidence are more important,” Mousavi said, adding that US and Israeli attacks against Iran were at the “root of the current situation”.
Mousavi’s statement follows a threat by US President Donald Trump to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if it does not open the Hormuz waterway within 48 hours. The deadline is late Monday from the time posted his threat on the Truth Social platform.
In response to Trump’s ultimatum, Iran threatened to strike all US and Israeli infrastructure across the region if its facilities came under attack.
This would include energy, IT and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and Israel in the regime, said a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the body overseeing Iranian military operations.
The Strait of Hormuz, where around 20 million barrels of oil must pass through, has been effectively disrupted since early March, following US-Israeli strikes on Iran which began on February 28.
Yesterday, 22 countries expressed readiness to support efforts to ensure the safe passage of ships through the strait.
The countries are the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Romania, Bahrain, Lithuania and Australia.
Japan, which gets 90% of its oil shipments via the strait, could deploy its military for minesweeping in the strait, but only under a ceasefire, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi was reported saying by AFP.
“This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and naval mines were creating an obstacle, then I think that would be something to consider,” Motegi said. – March 22, 2026