Third Turkish vessel exits Strait of Hormuz as 12 ships await clearance

The third Turkish-owned vessel has departed the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Monday.

The ship’s departure leaves 12 Turkish-owned vessels still awaiting Tehran’s permission to transit the Strait, the minister added.

For several weeks, Ankara has reportedly been in talks with Tehran to secure approval for its vessels to pass through the waterway.

The latest ship cleared for transit, the Ocean Thunder, is carrying Iraqi crude oil bound for Malaysia, Uraloğlu said.

Of the 12 vessels still in the Persian Gulf, eight - carrying a total of 156 personnel - have submitted official departure requests, he added.

Alternative routes under discussion

Speaking to reporters the same day, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said Türkiye was coordinating with Saudi Arabia to establish alternative routes to ensure the continued transport of goods, particularly oil and gas.

According to Bolat, shipments currently unable to pass through the Strait will be redirected.

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While declining to specify exact routes, he said some would be “through pipelines and some via road transport.”

Crucial pipeline

In a Monday interview with Türkiye’s Anadolu Agency, Fahad bin Assaad Abu Al-Nasr, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Ankara, highlighted the growing importance of his country’s East-West Pipeline.

The pipeline connects Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil-producing regions to the western city of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

The strategic route, the ambassador said, “provides flexibility in transporting supplies to the Red Sea through secure alternative routes, ensuring reliability of supply while mitigating the effects of regional tensions.”

He added that Saudi-Turkish cooperation would be vital in easing regional tensions amid the ongoing war - now in its sixth week - between Iran, Israel, and the U.S.

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News Politics Türkiye Strait of Hormuz Saudi Arabia Red Sea