Iran ready to help Japan ships pass through Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi says

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran is ready to facilitate the passage of Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments, and that negotiations with Japan on the issue are ongoing.“We have not closed the strait. It is open,” Araghchi said in a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday. He also stressed that Iran, which was attacked by the United States and Israel in late February, was seeking “not a ceasefire, but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war”.Araghchi said Iran had not closed the strategic waterway but had imposed restrictions on vessels belonging to countries involved in attacks against Iran, while offering help to others amid heightened security concerns.He added that Iran was prepared to ensure safe passage for countries such as Japan if they coordinated with Tehran.Japan relies on the Middle East for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports, most of which travel through the strait.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaking with Kyodo News in Tehran in December. Photo: KyodoThe issue of navigation through the strait by Japanese vessels was discussed in his recent talks with Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Araghchi said, noting that discussions were continuing, but the details could not be disclosed.