Iran thanks Pakistan for 'support' as Karachi oil tanker passes Strait of Hormuz: Report

KARACHI, Pakistan

Iran on Monday thanked Islamabad for its "solidarity" and "support" for the Islamic Republic in its war against the US and Israel as a Pakistani oil tanker passed the Strait of Hormuz.

"On this blessed, divine and spiritual day and hour, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the government and the people of Pakistan for their full-throated expression of solidarity and support for the people and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of the aggression by America and the Zionist regime," Iranian top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said in a post on US social media platform X.

Iran, he added, stands steadfast and perseveres in defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It comes as a Pakistani oil tanker transited through the Strait of Hormuz.

The tanker laden with crude oil has cleared the Strait of Hormuz and is sailing to Pakistan, Bloomberg reported, citing ship-tracking data.

The Pakistan-flagged Aframax, called the Karachi, made the journey over the course of Sunday and was seen in the waters off Oman's Sohar by Monday morning.

Tehran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most crucial international oil shipping routes, since early March after Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran, killing around 1,300 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.