Iran Exempts Ships From China, India, Qatar, Iraq — SkimNews
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- Amir Hayat Moqaddam, deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said ships from India, China, Iraq and Qatar "pass freely" through the Strait of Hormuz and "the Americans do not intercept them either," announcing the carve-out Tuesday to the Iranian Students' News Agency.
- Iran said the exemptions buy medicine from India and political backing from China, with Tehran collecting transit fees from Indian and Chinese ships while Qatari vessels pass free; Moqaddam did not say whether Iraqi ships pay a toll, and Georgetown's Nader Hashemi said the likely charge is a transit fee or a percentage of cargo value.
- China buys nearly 90% of Iran's total oil exports, and Kpler analyst Muyu Xu said 42% of the 10.23 million barrels per day of Gulf crude transiting Hormuz in October went to China and 13% to India, with Rouzbeh Parsi asking whether Beijing considers the potential political cost worth it.
- Qatar shipped no LNG through the strait in August but 1.8 million tonnes in October; its crude transits fell from 517,000 barrels per day to 193,000 over the same period, while Iraq's rose from 1.69 million to 2.65 million, and Kpler could not trace the origin of up to two million barrels per day of Middle Eastern crude.
- Iran has proposed reopening the Strait if the US meets seven conditions, including ending the blockade and lifting sanctions, in Qatar-mediated talks that also cover the nuclear programme; Wolfgang Pusztai said Tehran is separating free passage from the nuclear question.
- CENTCOM says the blockade applies to all vessels of all nations entering or leaving Iranian coastal areas or ports, exempting ships that avoid Iranian ports and allowing inspected food and medical shipments; Pusztai said Washington must accept the carve-outs for them to cover Chinese and Indian ships to or from Iran, and that if the exemption covers trade with other Gulf states it would also affect Saudi Arabia.
- Al Mayeda, a Qatari LNG carrier, was struck by "unidentified objects" in the Gulf on October 30, its owner Qatar Gas Transport Company said; more than 120 commercial ships have been hit since the war began, with October the worst month, according to IMO and UK Maritime Trade Operations data.
Why it matters: China buys nearly 90% of Iran's oil exports and took 42% of October's 10.23 million barrels per day of Gulf crude through Hormuz, so Washington's response decides whether the July blockade still reaches the biggest buyers. For now, IG Group's Chris Beauchamp said the exemptions make only limited difference because markets are pricing in a peace deal.
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