'Bangladeshi tankers can pass Strait of Hormuz', Iranian envoy reassures Dhaka

Bangladesh has received reassurance from Iran regarding the safe passage of fuel shipments amid growing concerns about global oil supply disruptions.

"Iran stands ready to ensure that Bangladeshi oil tankers can pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, despite the ongoing tensions in the Middle East," Iranian Ambassador to Bangladesh Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi told reporters following an event in Dhaka on Friday (13 March).

"I have seen that there is an energy crisis in your country. Due to the energy problem, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the energy minister [Iqbal Hassan Mahmood] have requested the Iranian government to allow Bangladeshi oil tankers to pass through," he added.

Photo: UNB

The ambassador further said, "I have spoken with Iranian government officials and they are ready. If you have vessels willing to transport fuel, we will allow them to pass safely so that the people of Bangladesh do not face difficulties."

Iran's secretive new leader issued his first public statements Thursday, resolving to keep fighting, promising more pain for Gulf Arab states and threatening to open "other fronts" in a war that has already disrupted world energy supplies, the global economy and international travel, reports AP.

Early Friday, US President Donald Trump issued a new threat online to Iran, writing, "Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today." Trump tallied the damage inflicted on Iran and its leaders and called it a "great honour" to be responsible for it.

The remarks by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country's attacks were creating conditions for the Iranian population to topple the government.

"It is in your hands," Netanyahu said at a news conference, addressing the Iranian people. "We are creating the optimal conditions for the fall of the regime."

Iran will continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the world's busiest oil shipping channel, according to a statement attributed to Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, reports the BBC.

His message was broadcast on Iranian state TV, but Khamenei did not appear in person. His message was instead read out by a newsreader.

Iran would "avenge the blood" of Iranians killed in the war with the US and Israel, Khamenei said in the statement, which also warned neighbouring countries to stop hosting US bases.

He was named supreme leader on 8 March after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the war.

Ambassador Jahanabadi defended his country's position and said, "We are not seeking a regional war, but we cannot remain indifferent while being attacked from American bases in neighbouring countries."

The first week of war with Iran cost the United States $11.3 billion, according to the Pentagon, which provided the estimate to Congress in a briefing earlier this week, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.

The US military reported spending $5 billion on munitions alone in the war's first weekend.

The war continued to escalate on its 13th day as oil prices spiralled up again to $100 per barrel, and stocks sank worldwide over fears that the conflict could drag on longer than hoped.

To relieve the surge in prices, the U.S. Treasury Department announced it was further easing sanctions on Russian oil by granting a license that authorises the delivery and sale of some Russian crude oil and petroleum products for the next month.

Trump signalled earlier this week that he would take more action to address the squeeze on oil flows. The move follows the administration's decision to grant temporary permission for India to buy Russian oil.

The new exemption applies only to Russian oil already at sea. Last week, analysts estimated there were about 125 million barrels loaded on tankers. To put that in perspective, about 20 million barrels of oil per day usually pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the International Energy Agency.