Iranian media claim that several European countries are negotiating with the Tehran government to request passage through the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran previously allowed dozens of ships from Asia to pass through.
On 16 May 2026, Iran's government television station reported that a group of European countries is currently negotiating with Tehran to use the shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February.
“After ships from East Asian countries, especially China, Japan, and Pakistan, passed through this route, we have now received information that European parties have also begun negotiations with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy to request permission for passage,” the Iranian television station said, without specifying which countries.
Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz has affected global markets, particularly energy, giving Tehran a significant advantage, while the United States has responded by deploying naval forces to blockade various Iranian ports.
Under normal conditions, this shipping route handles about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, as well as other key commodities.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated in a release that in recent days, Iran has allowed dozens of ships, including those from China, to pass through “after reaching an agreement on the protocol for managing the Iranian strait.”
Since the outbreak of war, Iran has repeatedly emphasized that maritime traffic through the strait will “not return to the pre-war status,” and last month, Iran announced it had received its first revenue from tolls collected in these waters.
Last Saturday, Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran's parliamentary National Security Commission, said Iran “has prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic” through the Strait of Hormuz and added that this mechanism will be “launched soon.”
“In this process, only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran will benefit,” he said, adding that necessary fees will be charged for specific services, and the route will be closed to those involved in the “Project Freedom” initiative, a reference to U.S. operations escorting stranded cargo ships out of Hormuz.
Source:cna