Iran assures safe passage of 'non-hostile vessels' through Strait of Hormuz

Iran has said "non-hostile vessels" can transit the Strait of Hormuz if they meet safety and security regulations in coordination with the relevant authorities, according to a statement released to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

"Non-hostile vessels... may -- provided that they neither participate in nor support acts of aggression against Iran -- and fully comply with the declared safety and security regulations -- benefit from safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the competent authorities," the statement said.

The IMO said on Tuesday that the communique, dated Sunday, was issued by Iran's foreign ministry with the request that it be circulated by the IMO. The IMO had shared it with member states and NGOs, it added.

The statement stressed that "vessels equipment and any assets belonging to the aggressor parties -- namely the United States and the Israeli regime -- as well as other participants in the aggression do not qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage".

It said responsibility for "any disruption, insecurity or escalation of risks in this critical waterway" lay with the United States and Israel, which it accused of waging an "unlawful and destabilising war against Iran".

Both countries, it said, had "endangered regional peace and stability and exposed international shipping to unprecedented threats".

Iran has virtually closed the vital strait since the US-Israeli strikes that started the war on February 28, causing global oil and gas prices to soar.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump sent a peace plan to Iran as he voiced optimism Tuesday at ending nearly a month of warfare, with Tehran announcing that it will let "non-hostile" oil vessels go through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

The tentative signs of a diplomatic solution came despite new violence, with an Iranian missile causing injuries in Israel, which in turn pressed on multiple fronts and vowed to seize control of a strip of southern Lebanon.

Trump, whose pronouncements in recent days have swung wildly from vowing massive attacks on Iran to declaring the nearly month-long war virtually over, said the United States was "in negotiations right now" with Iran -- which has not confirmed any formal talks.

"They did something yesterday that was amazing actually. They gave us a present and the present arrived today. And it was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

"That meant one thing to me -- we're dealing with the right people."

He did not explain further but said it related to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely blockaded in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes, sending global energy prices soaring.

Iran had already in recent days said it was not targeting friendly nations, although many vessels have shied away as insurance companies refuse to take risks.