We have not closed the strait. In our view, the strait is open. It is only closed to ships belonging to our enemies, countries that attack us.

Iran has announced that Japanese ships will be permitted to transit the Strait of Hormuz, signaling a shift toward a selective blockade of the strategic waterway.

“We have not closed the strait. In our view, the strait is open. It is only closed to ships belonging to our enemies, countries that attack us.

Ships from other countries are free to pass through,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Japan’s Kyodo News late Friday.

“We are in talks with them to find a safe passage route. We are ready to provide them with a secure route.

All they need to do is contact us to discuss how this will be arranged,” Araghchi added, according to an English transcript of the interview shared on his Telegram account.

Japan sources over 90 percent of its crude oil imports from the Middle East and relies heavily on exports passing through the strait.

However, the waterway has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.

In the early stages of the conflict, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to “set ablaze” any ships attempting to pass through the strait, bringing maritime traffic to a near halt.

Recently, though, Iran has softened its stance, declaring that the strait is only closed to its adversaries.

Japan may soon join a small group of countries mainly China, India, and Pakistan whose vessels have been allowed to pass through the waterway in recent days, with approval from Iranian authorities.

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