Iran has begun allowing certain Chinese ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following an agreement regarding Iranian management protocols for the sea route, the semi-official Fars news agency reported today, citing an informed source.
The report comes as US President Donald Trump, who is on an official visit to China, agreed with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that the Strait must remain open for the free flow of energy supplies.
The source told Fars that this agreement came after requests from China’s Foreign Minister and its ambassador to Iran, with Tehran agreeing to facilitate the passage of certain Chinese ships in line with the strategic cooperation between the two countries.
It has not yet become clear to what extent this development will actually change the situation on this critically important sea route, given that Tehran had already emphasized during the war with the US and Israel that ships from countries neutral in the war, especially those linked to China, would be able to pass through the Strait, provided they coordinate with the Iranian armed forces.
A Chinese very large crude carrier carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil crossed the Strait yesterday, Wednesday, according to ship tracking data, after having been trapped in the Gulf for more than two months due to the war.
Source: ANA-MPA
