Fifteen Turkish-owned vessels remain stranded in the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Wednesday.
“There are 15 Turkish-owned ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” Uraloğlu said ahead of a meeting with lawmakers.
“We are in contact with all their personnel,” he added.
The minister made the remarks amid an ongoing war in the Middle East, now in its second week, which has already caused unprecedented disruption to regional maritime traffic.
Speaking to reporters, Uraloğlu stressed that Turkish authorities remain in close contact with the crews of the 15 stranded vessels.
“They are at a waiting point,” he said. “Their only difficulty is being there. Otherwise, there is no problem meeting their needs.”
Since 28 February, when Israel and the U.S. launched a joint military attack on Iran, Tehran has effectively closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.
On Thursday, Iran’s military declared that it was in full control of the strait and would not allow any vessels associated with the U.S. or its “partners” to transit the vital waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical chokepoints for the transport of fossil fuels.
Under normal circumstances, roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil shipments - along with a significant share of liquefied natural gas exports - pass through the strait every day.
Major regional oil and gas producers - including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - rely heavily on the waterway to transport energy supplies to global markets.
The ongoing regional war has sparked fears that the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger global energy price spikes and further destabilise an already volatile Middle East.
On Thursday, the International Energy Agency said the conflict - which shows little sign of ending soon - had already caused the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.
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Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
Wildfires across England and Wales have reached their highest level on record, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council, as firefighters struggle to contain outbreaks following a spell of extreme heat.
One person has been killed and six others injured after an explosion at a petroleum storage facility at the Port of Rotterdam, prompting an investigation into the cause.
For fishermen along Pakistan’s southwestern coast, the consequences of the U.S.-Iran conflict are being felt far from the battlefield.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry has expressed regret over the death of a 21-year-old pregnant woman killed by gunfire across the border in Tajikistan’s Darvoz district. Dushanbe has issued a formal protest to Kabul over the incident, which it said involved a violation of its airspace.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan all reported blackouts on Friday, which Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said had been caused by a "sudden change in the power flow" from the Central Asian grid.
The United Nations has urged sustained international engagement with Afghanistan five years into Taliban rule, warning that restrictions on women and terrorism concerns risk undermining gains from improved security.
Iran says the U.S. war and military presence in the region have worsened marine pollution around the Strait of Hormuz, calling for environmental protection to form part of future arrangements governing the strategic waterway.
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