A Korean liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier has exited the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday that "one of our ships is navigating after passing through the Strait of Hormuz," adding, "Consultations regarding the transit were led by the foreign-flagged charterer, and we understand the ship is heading to a third country, its final destination." The ministry also said, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been emphasizing to Iran the swift and safe navigation of all ships, including ours, within the Strait of Hormuz, and is in continuous communication with relevant countries on this matter."
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries explained, "The ship is an LNG carrier with eight Korean crew members aboard. Specific information related to the vessel, such as the shipping company, ship name, and charterer, cannot be disclosed in consideration of the positions of the crew and shipping company."
The Korean ship's passage through the Strait of Hormuz comes about 20 days after the Universal Winner exited the strait. As a result, as of Friday, the number of Korean ships waiting inside Hormuz fell from 25 to 24, and the number of Korean crew members dropped from 147 to 139 (105 on Korean ships and 34 on foreign ships).
On the same day, Iran announced it would completely close the Strait of Hormuz in response to a second day of U.S. airstrikes. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which integrates command of Iran's armed forces, said in a statement that it would close the Strait of Hormuz and ban the passage of all ships, including tankers and merchant vessels. The Iranian military stressed that "all ships attempting to pass through the strait will become targets of fire."
Local media reported that the Iranian military indeed opened fire on two ships that attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz that day. Iran's announcement of the Hormuz closure came shortly after the U.S. Central Command announced additional airstrikes against Iran.
