Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all commercial shipping, but vessels must coordinate with Iran's naval forces before passing through.
He made the remarks on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, where he also urged member states to condemn what he called "illegal aggression" by the United States and Israel against Iran.
According to Al Jazeera, the Iranian foreign minister told reporters on the sidelines of the New Delhi meeting that from Iran's perspective, the Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial ships — but that vessels must coordinate with Iran's naval forces before passing through.
The statement provides some relief to global energy markets, which have been rattled for months by fears of a full blockade of the narrow waterway through which nearly a fifth of the world's oil supply flows. However, the condition of mandatory naval coordination signals that Tehran is maintaining firm leverage over maritime traffic as a strategic card in the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.
Inside the meeting hall, Araghchi was considerably less conciliatory. According to Iran International English, he urged BRICS member states to take an explicit stand against what he described as violations of international law by Washington and Tel Aviv.
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"Iran calls on BRICS member states and all responsible members of the international community to explicitly condemn violations of international law by the United States and Israel, including their illegal aggression against Iran," Araghchi told the gathering of foreign ministers.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged BRICS members on Thursday to explicitly condemn what he called US and Israeli violations of international law, including attacks on Iran.
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 14, 2026
“Iran calls on BRICS member states and all responsible members of the international community…
The remarks place India, as BRICS Chair, in a diplomatically delicate position. New Delhi has consistently advocated dialogue and de-escalation while refusing to assign blame to either side in the conflict — a balancing act that has allowed it to maintain active channels with Tehran, Washington, and Tel Aviv simultaneously.
Araghchi's presence in New Delhi — and his pointed remarks from Indian soil — underscore how the Iran conflict has become inseparable from the agenda of every major multilateral forum in 2026.
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