The Iranian embassy in Spain said on the 26th of March that Tehran was ready to meet Madrid’s requests to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as Spain respects international law, Reuters reports.
This is the first such offer to a European Union country. Spain’s merchant fleet is relatively small, but it was among the first countries to condemn the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, calling the war illegal and senseless.
The embassy’s statement followed a message sent to the UN by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, which said that ships not hostile to Iran could pass through the Strait of Hormuz with prior approval.
The war with Iran has almost completely stopped movement in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas is exported, thus causing disruptions in energy supplies. After diplomatic coordination, a Thai oil tanker successfully crossed the strait, and the Malaysian prime minister also reported that the country’s tankers were allowed to use the strait after diplomatic negotiations.
US President Donald Trump suggested on the 26th of March that
Iran should allow ten tankers per day to pass through the strait to show its good will to end the war.
Meanwhile, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares indicated that he did not understand Iran’s statements, given that Spain has consistently voted in favor of imposing sanctions on the Tehran regime, including including the inclusion of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on the list of terrorist organizations. He added that Spain is calling for a de-escalation of the situation and a focus on diplomacy and negotiations.
Last year, Spain’s merchant fleet reached its lowest number of ships in 20 years. It has 91 ships, of which six are oil tankers and 13 are natural gas carriers. Most of the 205 ships owned by Spanish shipowners fly the flags of other countries. According to MarineTraffic, there are currently ten Spanish-flagged ships at sea, mostly in the Mediterranean and Europe, and none in the Persian Gulf.
The post Iran offers Spanish ships passage through Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Baltic News Network.
