Iran exempts Indian vessels from Hormuz curbs, citing medicine imports

Iran has exempted Indian vessels from restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian lawmaker said on Tuesday, as attacks on shipping in the region continue to claim the lives of Indian seafarers.

The latest exemption comes amid heightened concern over the safety of Indian nationals working aboard vessels in the Gulf, with the death toll from attacks on merchant shipping having risen to 23.

Ahmad Hayat-Moghaddam, vice-chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said India, China, Iraq and Qatar had been granted exemptions and their vessels could pass through the strategic waterway without restrictions.

Speaking at a meeting on economic and security conditions, he said Tehran had facilitated the passage of Indian ships to enable imports of medicines from India, while the arrangement with China was intended to secure Beijing’s political support.

“We have already exempted four countries from restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz — India, China, Iraq and Qatar. They are free to pass through, and the Americans have no issues with them either,” Hayat-Moghaddam was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students’ News Agency.

He said the exemption for Indian vessels was intended to facilitate medicine imports into Iran, while the arrangement for Chinese ships was aimed at securing Beijing’s political support.

“We are doing business,” he said, adding that Tehran also collected money from Indian and Chinese vessels.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of repeated attacks on vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, which have killed Indian seafarers and prompted New Delhi to call for an end to attacks on commercial shipping.

In the latest incident cited by Indian authorities, the Indian-flagged dhow MSV Al-Jusufi was struck by an unidentified aerial object near Oman’s coast. Thirteen crew members were rescued by the Omani Coast Guard, while one Indian sailor, Gandhar Nahim Ajij of Gujarat, died from his injuries.

India condemned the attack and called for immediate de-escalation, urging all sides to restore free and unimpeded navigation through international waterways in accordance with international law.

The Directorate General of Shipping had earlier advised ship owners and recruitment agencies against sending Indian nationals aboard vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, though the advisory was not binding. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India has said more than 4,000 Indian sailors remain aboard vessels in the region.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed conflict are continuing. Iran’s military leadership has been urged to consider a Qatari-mediated proposal to halt the conflict. Qatari envoys reportedly travelled to Tehran to obtain Iran’s response to the proposed framework. However, the report said Iranian military strategists remain sceptical of a diplomatic settlement and view a return to confrontation with the US as the likelier scenario.