Iran Allows Russia and China Through Hormuz While Threatening New Strategic Blockades

Iran has granted passage through the Strait of Hormuz to several countries it considers friendly, including Russia, China, India, Iraq, and Pakistan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that Tehran sees no reason to allow adversarial states to use this strategic route, while maintaining a firm and principled stance on the issue. According to Araghchi, regional foreign ministers have been in contact with Tehran, but Iran's position remains unchanged. He suggested that Iran expects its adversaries to draw lessons from the current situation and refrain from future aggression. Selective Access and Economic Pressure Reports have also emerged that Iran may be charging certain commercial vessels for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Bloomberg, individual transit fees could reach up to $2 million per voyage, though such arrangements appear informal and lack a standardized mechanism.