The sharp differences within BRICS have become public with Iran accusing the UAE of blocking a joint declaration at the foreign ministers' meeting that India will host over the next 2 days. As foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived for the meeting, Iranian authorities said that while Tehran wanted a joint declaration for a successful meeting under India's chairship, there was 'one neighbouring country' that was preventing consensus by insisting on condemnation of Iran in the document. Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi also confirmed that Tehran is working with friendly countries like India to facilitate safe passage for more ships through the Strait of Hormuz, ruling out unimpeded movement of all ships in the current situation. The official praised India's 'impartiality' in the negotiations and said Iran would welcome peace initiatives by major powers like India, stating 'They want to condemn Iran but not the US and Israel. We cannot accept that.'
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has confirmed that Tehran will continue implementing 'service fees' for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, with the system currently in place solely for friendly countries. As per NDTV, Gharibabadi explained that 'We have, however, allowed several Indian vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. For Friendly countries, we are working to allow the movement of more vessels. If the owners of the companies were more willing to pay fees, the faster their ships can pass through.' The Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized that 'We are not a member of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS). We are only charging vessels a fee for services rendered. It is not a transit fee, which would violate international law.' Reports suggest that fees up to $2 million have been paid by vessels to pass through the strategically critical strait. Gharibabadi also revealed that Iran is working on a new mechanism for movement of ships through the Strait and expressed optimism about 'more facilitation of safe passage for more vessels if they were willing to pay for it.'
Iran has allowed 12 Indian vessels to exit the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz following diplomatic engagement with India, while 13 ships remain in the Persian Gulf. According to NDTV, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed that Tehran has allowed passage for 11 vessels linked to India but will not permit unrestricted movement for all ships. The latest update shows that Iran's selective approach to vessel passage continues, with the country maintaining its policy of allowing passage for friendly nations while restricting access for others. As per NDTV, Gharibabadi stated that 'This is the current situation, but if there is an expectation that all vessels will pass the Strait of Hormuz, I think due to the restrictions and the situation that we have, it is not possible.' He emphasized that 'We would like to cooperate with friendly countries like India to facilitate the passage of some more vessels,' noting that 'This is not the case for many other countries.'
As per Hindustan Times, officials confirmed that all Indian seafarers in the region remain safe, with no incidents involving Indian-flagged ships reported in the past 48 hours. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson clarified that vessels can move through international waters without special permission, though entry into Indian territorial waters involves regulatory procedures. This development indicates that while Iran maintains control over the strait, international maritime norms continue to apply to vessels in international waters. Gharibabadi maintained that 'it is not the money that matters, but rather the security of Iran' when addressing the fee structure. Regarding energy supply disruptions, Gharibabadi acknowledged India's interest in the strategic Chabahar port and said 'Iran remained committed to the project,' adding that 'cooperation would largely depend on how India pursues with the US the issue of sanctions waiver for its role in the project.'
In a significant development, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has announced that Iran is ready to 'reopen the Strait of Hormuz' if the US ends its naval blockade, marking a potential shift in Tehran's position. As per Times Now, Gharibabadi stated that 'Iran wants a permanent end to the conflict' and is willing to lift the sanctions that have been active for 15+ years. However, he acknowledged that 'America be like : Sorry for the loss, it won't be happen. This is what they have been telling for the last 2 months' - indicating skepticism about US willingness to accept such conditions. This conditional offer represents a potential pathway for resolving the current crisis, though the practical implementation remains uncertain given the ongoing tensions between the two nations.
Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer, has been negotiating case-by-case bilateral arrangements with Iran to secure safe passage for oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, Iraq is one of the most severely affected countries by the de facto closure of the oil and LNG chokepoint, with its key export port at Basrah constrained due to the nearly unpassable Strait of Hormuz. Iraq and Iran recently agreed to secure the safe passage of two supertankers, each laden with around 2 million barrels of crude oil, which safely exited the Strait this past weekend. Iraq's oil exports and revenues have been severely crippled due to Middle East hostilities, with crude oil exports now limited to a small part via pipeline to the Turkish Mediterranean coast. Iraq's oil revenues make up about 95% of its budget income, making an operational Strait of Hormuz critical for its economy.
Pakistan, which has been mediating U.S.-Iran talks in recent weeks, has been negotiating to have Qatari LNG moved out of the Persian Gulf for the first time since the war began. According to Reuters, Pakistan has relied on Qatar's term LNG supply for years but the war in the Middle East and closure of the Strait of Hormuz led to the shutdown of Qatari LNG production and exports. Two vessels carrying Qatari LNG are now en route to Pakistan after successfully passing through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days. Neither Pakistan nor Iraq has made direct payments to Iran or Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to secure passage, according to Reuters sources. This development highlights Iran's expanding influence over regional energy supply chains during the current crisis.
Indian government sources have denied that Iran has sought to charge Indian ships, adding that there is 'no question of India paying for it in any case.' As per NDTV, India has also denied that the discord in BRICS may have anything to do with its own position on the Israel-Palestine issue, with official sources saying that as recently as January this year it reached a common position with the Arab League, including on Palestine, and has been clear in its support for a two-state solution. The BRICS meeting of officials on the Middle East that India hosted last month ended without a joint statement and the same fate seemingly awaits the foreign ministers' meeting this week. India has blamed the sharp differences within BRICS for the lack of consensus on the West Asia situation, with Indian government sources attributing this to sharp differences of positions among members who are party to the conflict.
