Iran ready to let Japanese vessels transit Hormuz, Kyodo reports

FILE PHOTO: Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman's Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. - Reuters

TOKYO: Iran is ready to let Japanese-related vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies, Kyodo news reported, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

Tehran has started talks with Tokyo about possibly opening the strait, Araqchi told the Japanese news agency in a phone interview on Friday (March 20).

Japan depends on the Middle East for around 95 per cent of its oil supplies and gets around 90 per cent of its oil shipments via the strait, which Tehran has largely closed during the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The three-week-old war and subsequent surge in oil prices prompted Japan and other countries to release oil from their reserves. - Reuters