IRAN ALLOWS 30 VESSELS THROUGH HORMUZ AFTER CHINESE DEAL Here's all you need to know: Iran hasn't allowed all ships to cross Hormuz yet. Just the ones from countries that worked out a deal with Iran first. China moved first. Japan and India got clearance too. The fix came through direct coordination between China's foreign minister and its ambassador in Tehran, built on their existing strategic partnership. Here's the setup that made this possible: Iran stood up the Persian Gulf Strait Authority on May 5. Every vessel now needs IRGC sign-off before it can pass. There are designated corridors. And there's a toll: roughly $1 per barrel of oil carried, payable in crypto. They've been enforcing it hard. Ships without clearance got turned back. Some Chinese vessels were actually seized before the deal came together. But why open up now? The US counter-blockade has been squeezing Iran's revenues. Ceasefire talks aren't moving. Iran needed cash and needed allies, so it traded access for both. What actually matters here: - China is now effectively Iran's logistics partner for Gulf transit. That's a structural change in how this waterway works. - Countries that haven't cut a deal yet are still locked out.