Iran allowed India and a number of other "friendly nations" including China and Russia to use the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said.

Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20% of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).

Iran-Israel war LIVE updates

West Asia has been a major source of India's energy procurement.

"We have permitted certain countries that we consider friendly to pass through (Strait of Hormuz). We allowed China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan to transit," Mr. Araghchi said, according to Iranian State TV.