Strait of Hormuz: Chinese ships get free pass, Iranian official says

South China Morning Post · Ralph Jennings · 2026-11-06 07:53 UTC

Statement confirms tacit practice since start of war, as Iran favours its biggest oil customer and political backer, economist says.

A senior Iranian lawmaker said the country is letting commercial vessels from China and three other countries bypass restrictions in the tightly controlled Strait of Hormuz, securing China’s access to oil, including a large quantity sold by Iran itself.

Ships from China, India, Iraq and Qatar had been “granted exemptions from transit restrictions” and could navigate the strait freely, said Ahmad Hayat-Moghaddam, vice-chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, according to reports by citizen-run Iranwire and multiple Indian news outlets this week.

China’s exemption aimed “to secure [Iran’s] political backing from Beijing”, Iranwire reported.

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