Beirut: South Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that two South Korean-operated vessels have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz following the recent U.S.-Iran agreement to reopen the strategic waterway.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, cited by Russian media, the ships had been waiting in the strait and are now sailing normally. The vessels are operated by South Korean shipping companies, although neither carried South Korean crew members nor was bound for South Korea.
The transit marks the first successful passage of South Korean-operated ships through the Strait of Hormuz since the agreement took effect. Authorities said the number of South Korean vessels previously stranded in the area has fallen from 26 to 22, while the number of South Korean sailors affected has dropped to 135.
Under the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, commercial vessels are exempt from transit fees through the strait for a 60-day period.