The first Turkish-owned ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz after receiving permission from Iranian authorities, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu reported today, noting that 14 other ships are still waiting in the area.
“We had 15 ships there. We got permission for one of them because it had used an Iranian port,” Uraloglu told reporters during an iftar meeting.
The minister indicated that Türkiye declared the highest level of security alert for the strait due to rising regional tensions after the US and Israeli attacks against Iran.
Around 800 vessels of different types, including six cruise ships with passengers, are waiting in the strait, Uraloglu reported. Turkish-owned boats in the area have 171 people on board, he said.
The minister added that Türkiye remains in constant contact with the ships and with the Iranian authorities regarding the passage of the remaining vessels.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key artery for global trade, but shipping through it has been severely affected due to recent US and Israeli attacks on Iran, leaving many ships trapped near the strait.
(Web editor: Rosa Liu, Zhao Jian)
