Last Updated on May 18, 2026 1:26 am by BIZNAMA NEWS
AMN
Iran has announced that it will no longer permit the transit of what it describes as “enemy” military equipment through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which is a major maritime choke point for world energy trade. Country’s First Vice President, Mohammad Reza Aref, stated that Tehran had previously refrained from exercising its full sovereignty over the waterway and had allowed military cargo destined for use against Iran to pass through the strait. However, he said that policy would now change.
Yesterday, Head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, Ebrahim Azizi announced that Iran haa developed a professional mechanism to regulate maritime traffic through a designated route in the Strait of Hormuz. Mr Azizi said the mechanism would allow passage only for commercial vessels and countries cooperating with Iran. He stated that operators linked to the United States’ so-called “freedom project” will be denied access to the proposed route.
Meanwhile, the United States and China agreed that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons and that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz should remain open, during US President Donald Trump three-day state visit to China.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, with roughly a fifth of global oil shipments passing through the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to international markets.
Regional tensions sharply escalated after military exchanges between Iran, Israel and the United States, raising concerns over energy supplies, commercial shipping security and broader stability across West Asia.