Against a backdrop of heightened regional conflict following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory in late February 2026, Iran has issued formal authorization for vessels carrying essential and humanitarian cargo to transit the Strait of Hormuz en route to its domestic ports, semi-official Iranian news outlet Tasnim has reported.
The policy shift, outlined in an official March 1 correspondence from Iranian Deputy Agriculture Minister Hooman Fathi to the country’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), confirms that both the Iranian national government and the country’s armed forces have signed off on the adjusted navigation rules for these specific vessels. Fathi’s instructions direct the PMO to grant entry approval for cargo ships bound for Iranian ports or already anchored in the Gulf of Oman that are transporting humanitarian goods, prioritizing basic essential commodities and livestock production inputs, in compliance with established national shipping protocols. Going forward, a curated list of eligible vessels will be shared with relevant authorities to streamline coordination and processing.
This updated regulatory framework comes after weeks of heightened naval control over the strategic waterway, a response to the major escalation of hostilities that shook the region late last month. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated aerial attacks on Tehran and multiple other urban centers across Iran, killing then-Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei alongside a number of senior government officials and civilian bystanders. In retaliation, Iran launched multiple waves of missile and drone strikes targeting both Israeli territory and U.S. military installations across the Middle East, and subsequently implemented strict movement controls on shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint that carries roughly a fifth of the world’s total oil trade and serves as a critical access route for maritime commerce to and from Iranian ports.