Half of the South Korean vessels stranded inside the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict between the United States and Iran began in late February have successfully exited the waterway, South Korea’s foreign ministry said Thursday, raising expectations that the remaining ships could soon follow.
A total of 13 South Korean vessels had transited the strait as of Thursday morning, accounting for half of the 26 ships that had been trapped inside, according to ministry officials. The pace of transit accelerated after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding last week aimed at ending their conflict and reopening the strait. Eleven of the 13 vessels cleared the waterway over the past three days alone.
Thirteen South Korean vessels remain inside the strait, the ministry said. There are 54 crew members aboard South Korean-flagged ships and 33 South Koreans serving on foreign vessels in the area.
“The continued safe passage of vessels has raised expectations that the long-standing transit issue may soon be resolved, barring any deterioration in the security situation or other external factors,” a ministry official told reporters.
The official noted that South Korean ships have been moving through the strait at a relatively faster pace than vessels from some other countries, attributing it in part to Seoul’s continued diplomatic engagement with Tehran throughout the conflict. “Since the outbreak of the war, South Korea and Iran have maintained communication through various diplomatic channels, including four phone talks between their foreign ministers and the dispatch of a special envoy to Iran,” the official said.
According to estimates compiled by the International Maritime Organization and other maritime bodies, around 30 vessels are currently passing through the Strait of Hormuz each day. Between 1,000 and 1,500 ships were believed to have been in or around the waterway at the height of the war, with roughly 500 seeking passage.
Officials said the timing of the departure of the remaining South Korean vessels may vary depending on insurance coverage and operational decisions by individual shipping companies.