South Korean ships can go through Strait of Hormuz after coordination with Iran, envoy tells Seoul
Iranian Ambassador Saeed Koozechi describes South Korea as ‘non-adversarial country’ and said Tehran has sought details of ships destined for Seoul
ISTANBUL
South Korean ships can go through the Strait of Hormuz, but only after coordination with Tehran, Iran’s ambassador in Seoul said Thursday.
“There are no problems with the (country’s) vessels," said Saeed Koozechi, calling South Korea 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 Yonhap News, some 26 South Korean ships with about 180 crew members aboard remain stranded in the shipping lane, which was busy before the war started late last month.
Koozechi said that Tehran asked Seoul to “provide the details of the stranded ships” during Monday phone calls between their foreign ministers.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun Monday urged his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalating Middle East conflict.
South Korea is procuring almost 55% of its energy supplies from Gulf states, transiting through the Strait of Hormuz which remains effectively under Iran’s control after the US and Israel began hitting Tehran with airstrikes on Feb. 28.
Seoul paid some $144 billion in 2024 for its energy purchases from the Middle East.
According to a statement attributed to Araghchi, Tehran has allowed passage through the Strait of Hormuz for "friendly nations including China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan," the Iranian diplomatic mission in India’s financial capital Mumbai said on US social media company X.
