Several countries negotiate with Iran on passage through Strait of Hormuz — report

Lead

Several countries are in talks with Iran to secure safe passage for their vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by maritime intelligence firm Lloyd's List Intelligence, as cited by Russia's TASS news agency. The report, published on Wednesday, names India, Iraq, China, Malaysia, and Pakistan as parties to the discussions.

Coverage Comparison

Two distinct narratives emerge from the coverage. The TASS report focuses on the ongoing negotiations and the partial reopening of the strait through a designated "safe" corridor, while The Hindu reports on an Iranian parliamentary commission's approval of a plan to impose tolls on transiting vessels. Both accounts agree on the strait's critical importance to global energy supplies, though they emphasize different aspects of the current situation.

Key Claims

According to TASS, at least nine ships have exited the strait via a corridor that routes vessels through Iranian territorial waters near Larak Island, where the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy and port authority conduct visual inspections. The report adds that only one tanker is so far understood to have made a payment—approximately $2 million—as part of an agreement to transit.

TASS also reports that the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, striking major cities including Tehran. In response, the IRGC carried out attacks on Israel and on targets in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, according to the same source. On March 2, IRGC Major General Ebrahim Jabari warned that the strait would be closed to ships; however, on March 5, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that while the strait is not closed, vessels are avoiding it for fear of attacks from both sides.

The Hindu, citing Iranian state media and a member of Parliament's security commission, reports that a parliamentary commission has approved a plan to impose tolls on vessels using the strait. The plan reportedly includes "financial arrangements and rial toll systems," "implementing the sovereign role of Iran," and cooperation with Oman on the other side of the strait. It also includes a "prohibition of Americans and the Zionist regime from passing through," as well as a ban on other countries imposing sanctions on Iran.

Perspectives

The two sources diverge in their framing. TASS, a Russian state news agency, presents the safe-passage negotiations as an operational development, highlighting the corridor and the toll payment without commenting on the broader geopolitical context beyond the reported military actions. The Hindu, an Indian newspaper with high editorial standards, emphasizes the economic consequences of the conflict, noting that the strait has been "effectively closed due to the war in West Asia," with crossings plummeting by around 95% according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.

Neither source contradicts the other directly, but they reflect different priorities: TASS focuses on the mechanics of maritime transit and the military exchange, while The Hindu stresses the legal and economic measures being taken by Iran and their impact on global energy markets. Both agree that the strait normally carries about a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas, underscoring the significance of the developments.

The situation remains fluid, and the claims reported by a single outlet—such as the specific countries involved in negotiations, the number of ships using the corridor, and the toll amount—have not been independently verified by other sources. As of this writing, there has been no official confirmation from the Iranian government regarding either the negotiations or the parliamentary approval.