Iran says it keeps Hormuz open, but closes it to enemy ships.

Iran claims that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international navigation, but made it clear that this opening will not be extended to ships associated with countries considered enemies.

The Iranian position reinforces the idea that Tehran intends to maintain tight control over one of the world’s most sensitive maritime passages, at a time when military tension in the region continues to project uncertainty over commercial traffic and the global energy market. The message was conveyed as part of discussions surrounding maritime security in the region, with Iran maintaining that ships without links to its adversaries will be able to continue crossing Hormuz, as long as they are in coordination with Iranian authorities.

In practice, what Tehran seeks to convey is that the strait is not formally closed, but it also no longer operates under a logic of full and indiscriminate freedom of navigation. This distinction carries real weight in the maritime sector. Even without a declared total closure, the mere threat of selective restrictions is enough to stoke fears among shipowners, operators, insurers and markets. Hormuz continues to be a critical point for the flow of oil and liquefied natural gas, so any sign of conditioning, even partial, tends to have an immediate impact on transportation costs, risk premiums and international trade confidence. In an environment already marked by threats, attacks and successive security alerts, the Iranian position adds a new layer of pressure. By allowing passage for some and excluding others, Tehran is trying to transform maritime circulation into a political and strategic instrument, using Hormuz’s location as leverage in a confrontation that goes far beyond the regional dimension.

For maritime transport, the problem is less in the diplomatic formulation and more in the practical consequences. Whenever the crossing is no longer based on predictable and universal rules, the risk of deviations, delays, commercial hesitancy and greater volatility in energy prices increases. And when this happens in Hormuz, the impact is not confined to the Gulf, it quickly spreads to logistics chains, bunkering and the balance of world trade.

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