Iran Sets Conditions for S. Korean Ships at Strait of Hormuz

(MENAFN) South Korean vessels may transit the Strait of Hormuz, but only following prior clearance from Tehran, Iran’s ambassador to Seoul stated Thursday — as dozens of South Korean ships and nearly 200 crew members remain stranded in the critical waterway.

“There are no problems with the (country’s) vessels,” said Saeed Koozechi, characterizing South Korea as a “non-adversarial country.”

“But in order for them to go through, you need coordination, prior consultations with the Iranian military and government,” he told reporters in Seoul.

According to Seoul-based media, some 26 South Korean ships carrying approximately 180 crew members are currently stuck in the shipping lane, which had operated at high capacity before hostilities erupted in the region late last month.

Koozechi disclosed that Tehran had requested Seoul to “provide the details of the stranded ships” during phone conversations between the two nations’ foreign ministers on Monday.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun used that Monday call to press his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz as the Middle East conflict continues to intensify.

The stakes for Seoul are considerable — nearly 55% of its total energy supplies are sourced from Gulf states and transported through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that has remained effectively under Iranian control since the US and Israel launched airstrikes against Tehran on Feb. 28. South Korea spent approximately $144 billion on energy imports in 2024.

In a statement attributed to Araghchi and posted on X, the US-based social media platform, by the Iranian diplomatic mission in the Indian financial hub of Mumbai, Tehran confirmed it had extended transit rights through the Strait of Hormuz to “friendly nations including China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan.”

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