Amid the escalating war in the Middle East, Iran has given its explicit permission to some countries, allowing their ships to safely pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Starting February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran, which in turn retaliated, spreading the war to the entire Gulf region. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important choke point for the world’s energy supplies.

Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20% of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that the U.S., Israel and some Gulf States involved in the current war will not be allowed to pass through the strait.

Also read: Israel-Iran war LIVE updates

Here’s the list of countries that managed to secure safe passage for their vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

India

Iran has said it will allow Indian ships to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz. India has been included in Iran’s list of ‘friendly countries’ in the current conflict.

Since the U.S. and Israel started the conflict with Iran on February 28, at least four ships flying the Indian flag: Jag Vasant, Pine Gas, Shivalik, and Nanda Devi, have passed through the strait.

China

A majority of the ships that have made it through in recent weeks headed east, out of the Gulf. Among them, China accounted for 10%, counted by ownership or flag registration

Thailand

A Thai oil tanker ​has safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz following diplomatic coordination between Thailand and Iran, and was not ‌required to pay to escape the blockade, a Thai official and the oil major that owns the vessel said.

The Bangchak Corporation-owned tanker crossed the strategic waterway on March 25, 2026 after successful talks between Thai foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Iran’s ​ambassador to Thailand.

Russia

Iran has explicitly authorised Russian vessels to use the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping. While Russia has official permission, most global shipping through the strait has seen a 95% drop since the outbreak of hostilities in late February 2026.

Pakistan

Between March 14 and 15, a Pakistan-bound tanker successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such transit since the war began. However, another Pakistan-bound tanker was turned away the following week by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for not adhering to legal protocols. As of the latest announcement from Mr. Araghchi, Pakistan is among the list of ‘friendly countries’ that are allowed to pass through the strait.

Iraq

After weeks of negotiations between Baghdad and Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi officially designated Iraq as a ‘friendly nation,’ granting Iraqi-owned vessels safe passage through the Strait.

Only about 150 vessels, including tankers and container ships, have transited since March 1, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence shipping information firm. That’s a little more than one day’s normal traffic before the war. Iran’s Kharg Island terminal loaded 1.6 million barrels in March — largely unchanged from prewar monthly loading totals, according to data and analytic firm Kpler. Most of the customers are small, private refineries in China that don’t care about U.S. sanctions.

(With Agencies Inputs)

Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Ministry said Saturday (March 14, 2026) at least 56 museums and historic sites across the country have been damaged, as the Iran-Israel war entered its 15th day.

In Tehran, U.S.-Israeli strikes damaged the UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace in the early days of the conflict, local media reported.

The palace complex is one of the oldest sites in the Iranian capital and once served as the residence of the Qajar dynasty.

The Ministry said Tehran has recorded the highest number of damaged monuments, with 19 suffering varying levels of harm.

The vast Naghsh-e Jahan Square, a 17th-century architectural jewel in the heart of the central Iranian city of Isfahan, has also been damaged.

In the port of Siraf, in Bushehr province, several houses were hit in the historic quarter, home to many century-old buildings.

UNESCO, the UN’s culture agency, told AFP on Friday (March 13, 2026) it was concerned about hundreds of historic sites in Iran, Israel and Lebanon that have been damaged or threatened by the war.

U.S. attacks on Iran will hit a new intensity Tuesday (March 10, 2026) and the war will continue as long as U.S. President Donald Trump decides, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said.

“Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran,” Mr. Hegseth told a news conference at the Pentagon more than 10 days into the U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.

Israel-Iran war updates on March 10, 2026

As for a timeline for the war, Mr. Trump “gets to control the throttle. He’s the one deciding,” Mr. Hegseth said.

“It’s not for me to posit whether it’s the beginning, the middle or the end,” the Defense Secretary said.

Among the goals of the conflict is the destruction of Iran’s navy, which has been targeted with “artillery, fighters, bombers and sea-launched missiles,” General Dan Caine, the top U.S. military officer, said alongside Mr. Hegseth.

Iran has vowed to block all oil exports via the Gulf while the war lasts, while Mr. Trump has threatened “death, fire, and fury” if Tehran interferes with crude exports.

Mr. Caine said U.S. forces continue “to hunt and strike mine-laying vessels and mine storage facilities” — weapons Iran could use to block maritime traffic.

Mr. Hegseth meanwhile accused Iran of “moving rocket launchers into civilian neighborhoods, near schools, near hospitals to try to prevent our ability to strike — that’s how they operate.”

He did not directly address a strike early in the conflict that hit an elementary school in the southern city of Minab, which Iran said killed more than 150 people.

Mr. Trump has said the incident is being investigated, while suggesting Monday that Iran may have fired a Tomahawk missile at the school itself. Iran does not possess Tomahawks — a U.S. weapon used extensively by U.S. forces.

Sri Lanka will grant free one-month visas to a group rescued from Iranian vessels, allowing them to remain in Sri Lanka under humanitarian protection, a senior minister said on Sunday (March 8, 2026).

Speaking on the matter, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala said similar decisions could be taken in the future if necessary, stressing that such measures are not intended to support or harm any particular party.

Also Read: Israel-Iran war LIVE

“They will be granted one month gratis visas,” Mr. Wijepala told reporters.

“We will not be taking any sides but will act on a humanitarian basis in terms of international law,” Mr. Wijepala stressed.

There are 32 who had survived the U.S. submarine attack on the sunk ‘Iris Dena’ frigate. Another 186 were evacuated from ‘Iris Bushehr’.

Out of the 32 from the sunk frigate, only 10 remain under treatment at Karapitiya, the national hospital at Galle, the southern port city.

The 22 have been discharged from the hospital.

They were admitted on Wednesday (March 4) after the ship had been sunk, consequent to being torpedoed by a U.S. submarine.

Sri Lanka is yet to make a decision on their repatriation. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has said Sri Lanka would strictly adhere to the relevant international laws to deal with the situation.