समाचार Samāchār · World · 5 November 2026

Iran says Indian ships can pass Hormuz for a fee. A permit is not free navigation

An Iranian MP named India, China, Iraq and Qatar as exempt from Tehran’s restrictions. Indian and Chinese ships pay a transit fee. No Indian response has been reported.

Iran says Indian ships may cross the Strait of Hormuz under an exemption. They pay for it. That is the change, and the second part matters as much as the first.

Amir Hayat Moghadam, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told the ISNA news agency on Tuesday: “We have currently exempted India, China, Iraq and Qatar from transit restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.” He said ships from these countries pass freely and that the Americans do not intercept them either. That last point is his claim. The reports carry no American confirmation.

He also said Iran collects transit fees from Indian and Chinese vessels. Qatari ships go without charge. No fee amount has been given. Tehran’s stated reason for India is medicines: it needs pharmaceutical supplies from India. For China the reported reason is political backing.

This is one MP speaking to an agency. It is not a published order. The reports carry no response yet from the Ministry of External Affairs or the shipping ministry. India’s stated demand remains free and unimpeded navigation under international law. A paid exemption sits awkwardly beside that demand.

The risk has not gone. An Indian sailor was killed on Monday evening when the vessel MSV Al Jusufi was attacked near Limah in Oman. At least 15 Indian seafarers have died in attacks on ships since the conflict began in February. Hormuz now carries about 30% of India’s crude supplies, down from 70%. LPG is the exposed line, with nearly 90% of imports still using the strait.

What a founder takes from it: Take the relief and do not build on it. A passage granted by one side and charged for can be repriced or withdrawn. Anyone whose costs ride on Gulf freight should keep spreading routes and suppliers.