Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

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Iran has indicated that Japanese vessels will be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz, signalling a shift towards what appears to be a selective blockade of the strategic waterway, AzerNEWS reports via Aljazeera.

“We have not closed the strait. In our opinion, the strait is open. It is closed only to ships belonging to our enemies, countries that attack us. For other countries, ships can pass through the strait,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Kyodo News late on Friday.

Araghchi added that Tehran is in discussions with relevant parties to ensure safe transit. “We are talking to them to find a way to pass safely. We are ready to provide them with safe passage. All they need to do is contact us to discuss how this route will be,” he said, according to an English transcript shared on his Telegram account.

Japan, which sources more than 90 per cent of its crude oil imports from the Middle East, remains heavily dependent on shipments passing through the strait. However, the waterway has effectively been closed since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February.

The latest remarks suggest that Tehran may be attempting to differentiate between countries it considers hostile and those with which it is willing to maintain energy and trade flows, a move that could further fragment global oil markets and complicate maritime logistics in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.