ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Iran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to transit the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, in what Pakistani officials describe as a significant diplomatic breakthrough amid a deepening regional conflict and global energy disruption.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the development on Saturday, stating that two vessels would be cleared to pass through the waterway each day under the arrangement.
He characterised the move as “a harbinger of peace” and a constructive step toward restoring stability in a region rattled by escalating hostilities.
In a notable diplomatic gesture, Dar addressed his announcement directly to senior US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The move signals Islamabad’s broader diplomatic push to de-escalate tensions and position itself as a mediator in the crisis.
The partial reopening comes after weeks of disruption following coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28.
The attacks reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggered a wider conflict that has claimed approximately 2,000 lives in Iran and more than 1,100 in Lebanon, according to official and media reports.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a critical artery for global oil shipments — sent shockwaves through international energy markets, disrupting supply chains and driving up fuel prices worldwide.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has since tightened control over the strait, effectively turning it into a monitored transit corridor.
Vessels seeking passage must submit cargo manifests, crew details, and destination information to IRGC-approved intermediaries before receiving clearance codes and naval escort through Iranian waters.
Regional observers say the decision to permit Pakistani vessels may reflect a calibrated attempt by Tehran to ease pressure without fully reopening the corridor, while also acknowledging Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach.
Commenting on the crisis, former Qatari minister Mohammed Al-Hashemi described the strait as indispensable to the global economy. “The Strait of Hormuz is not an oil chokepoint. It is the aortic valve of globalised production,” he wrote in a recent column, underscoring the systemic risks posed by its disruption.
For now, the arrangement stands as a rare opening in an otherwise volatile geopolitical landscape, with implications not only for energy markets but also for the trajectory of the wider conflict.
