Pakistan confirms passage for 20 ships through Strait of Hormuz

Pakistan has confirmed an agreement with Iranian authorities allowing 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz. It is a development presented by Islamabad as a step towards substantially easing the nation's energy disruption, according to Al Jazeera.

Pakistan’s deputy PM and Foreign minister Ishaq Dar said two ships would pass through the Strait each day under the arrangement. He also described the decision as a constructive signal that could help stabilise a region facing escalating tensions. Dar’s announcement, addressed primarily to senior US and Iranian officials, underlined Pakistan’s behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to help de-escalate the conflict.

The strait has effectively been closed with only limited ships allowed through since the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, in an escalation of tensions that led to the death of Iran’s now former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The conflict has since killed an estimated 2,000 people in Iran with the wider attacks on and by Israel leading to the deaths of more than 1,100 others in Lebanon.

With an estimated 2,000 vessels stranded on either side of the narrow passage, oil prices have repeatedly risen and dropped below $100 a barrel – an increase of roughly 40% compared to prices seen before the conflict. Maritime traffic through the strait has also fallen by 90%, with only about 150 ships managing to pass through since the outbreak of hostilities, slightly more than the daily average of 138 ships seen passing through the Strait prior to the conflict starting.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which according to US authorities has backed terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas, has imposed strict controls on shipping, requiring vessels to submit cargo and crew details, obtain clearance codes and accept escorted passage through Iranian territorial waters.

A March 26 report in The Guardian indicates that at least two ships have paid fees of about $2mn per crossing, settled in Chinese yuan, as Tehran moves to formalise the arrangement through legislation. One of the vessels involved is believed to be a very large crude carrier (VLCC).

The agreement with Islamabad follows an intensive period of Pakistani diplomacy, including contacts between army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and US President Donald Trump, as well as discussions involving Iran and Turkey. Malaysia has also secured passage for its vessels with reports on March 28 emerging that Thailand is in the process of confirming a similar deal.