Iran has prepared a draft plan to regulate navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, including restrictions on certain vessels, Ali Nikzad, the country’s parliamentary speaker said on Saturday.
He said the draft stipulates that Israeli vessels “will never be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” while ships from “hostile countries” would be denied transit permits unless they compensate for war-related damages.
Other vessels would be allowed to pass only after obtaining authorisation from Iran under a law to be approved by parliament, he added, noting the legislation would be adopted in line with international law and the rights of neighbouring states.
“We will not give up our rights in the Strait of Hormuz, and vessel traffic will not be the same as it was before the war,” Nikzad said, describing Iran’s proposed management of the strait as “as important as the nationalisation of the oil industry.”
The US and Israeli war against Iran on February 28 over its nuclear programme and “imminent threats” prompted retaliation from Tehran against US allies in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil and gas route.
A ceasefire was announced on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, followed by talks in Islamabad on April 11, but no agreement was reached. While the truce holds, efforts to end the conflict permanently continue.
US President Donald Trump on Friday said “Iran isn’t coming through with the kind of deal that we need to have”. – AA