Iranian media networks are widely circulating a Financial Times report indicating that France and Italy have opened direct negotiations with Tehran to secure guaranteed safe passage for their ships through the contested Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian news outlets are heavily emphasizing reports that European nations are seeking direct diplomatic guarantees from Tehran regarding maritime security. Quoting the UK-based Financial Times, the Iranian breaking news channel خبرفوری جنگ🚨اخبارفوری امریکا فوری claimed that European countries have initiated negotiations with Tehran to reach an agreement for the "safe passage of their ships through the Strait of Hormuz."
Multiple domestic aggregators have specified the European actors involved in these talks. The prominent Iranian news network آخرین خبر published the headline "Consultations for safe passage from the Strait," reporting that France and Italy have begun discussions with Iran "hoping to have safe passage from the Strait of Hormuz." This assertion was distributed across the network's regional affiliates, including آخرین خبر تهران and آخرین خبر مازندران, which identically noted that France and Italy are submitting a "request for guaranteed safe passage" from Iranian authorities.
These reported diplomatic overtures occur during unprecedented regional volatility. Following the massive US and Israeli airstrikes from March 9-13 that targeted Iran's naval and air capabilities, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blocked, halting Kuwaiti oil production and sending global oil prices surging past $120 a barrel. Against the backdrop of the IRGC's threats to burn all Middle Eastern energy infrastructure, the Iranian media's focus on these European negotiations underscores Tehran's projection of continued authority and leverage over the strategic chokepoint.
The narrative of European capitulation to Iranian maritime control was further amplified by war-focused channels. The aggregator اخبارفوری خبرفوری جنگ امریکا فوری prominently shared the Financial Times claim with its audience, while the channel خبری پلاس|خبرفوری reiterated that the talks were launched "to the hope of guaranteeing safe passage" through the critical waterway.
All source messages are uniform in their reporting, essentially acting as an echo chamber for a single Financial Times report. The Iranian channels are amplifying this specific Western media claim, likely to project strength and international relevance (i.e., European states begging for passage) despite the severe military degradation outlined in the background context.