The maritime chokepoint, through which a fifth of global energy trade passes, has been under Iranian control since February when Israel and the US launched their military campaign against Iran.
But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that while the strait remains out of bounds for Iran's enemies, it is open to ships from friendly nations.
But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that while the strait remains out of bounds for Iran's enemies, it is open to ships from friendly nations.
"Many of the shipowners, or the countries that own these vessels, have contacted us and requested that we ensure their safe passage through the strait," Araghchi said. "For some of these countries that we consider friendly, or in cases where we have decided to do so for other reasons, our armed forces have provided safe passage."
He said Iran has given safe passage to ships from India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iraq, and Bangladesh, two of whose vessels sailed through a few nights earlier.
"These are countries that spoke with us and coordinated with us, and this will continue in the future as well, even after the war," Araghchi added.
Strategic affairs pundits have described the situation as a "win for Indian diplomacy".
Iran's free pas to Indian tankers return the favour for its help, said commander Sandeep Dhawan, a former pilot in the Indian Navy.
Iran's free pas to Indian tankers return the favour for its help, said commander Sandeep Dhawan, a former pilot in the Indian Navy.
"India stood behind Iran despite US sanctions threats until 2019 and bought their oil, invested in Chabahar Port," Dhawan said.
Fellow Indian Navy veteran commodore Seshadri Vasan now Director General of think-tank the Chennai Centre for China Studies (C3S), believes India had its own challenges to ensure its energy security.
India has taken a neutral strance in the war and called for peace. It has also given sanctuary to Iranian ships that joined the International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam and were on course to return to Iran, he stressed.
Those moves sent clear signals to Iran that India does not support the war in any manner, but offered humanitarian support to Iranian ship crews stationed in India.
Those moves sent clear signals to Iran that India does not support the war in any manner, but offered humanitarian support to Iranian ship crews stationed in India.
"India has maintained its strategic autonomy, rebuffing repeated pressure from Western nations," Vasan said. "It stuck to its stand on procuring crude from wherever it could get it cheaper, ensuring the nation's energy security is not compromised."
He said the Indian government deserved praise for finding alternative sources of oil and gas and cutting petrol and diesel duty.