Iran says 'non-hostile' ships can transit Strait of Hormuz, FT reports

March 24 (Reuters) – Iran has told International Maritime Organization member states that “non-hostile vessels” may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing a letter.

The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has all but halted shipments of about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz, causing oil supply disruption.

In the letter circulated among IMO members on Tuesday, Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran had “taken necessary and proportionate measures to prevent the aggressors and their supporters from exploiting the Strait of Hormuz to advance hostile operations against Iran,” the newspaper said.

Tehran said in the letter that vessels linked to the U.S. and Israel, as well as “other participants in the aggression, do not qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage,” the FT said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

The London-based U.N. shipping agency is responsible for regulating the safety and security of international shipping and preventing pollution, and comprises 176 member states.

(Reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru and Mrinmay Dey in Mexico City; Editing by Mark Porter and Daniel Wallis)