Iran Allows Turkish-Owned Vessel to Pass Through Strait of Hormuz
A Turkish-owned ship that had been waiting near Iran was allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after authorities received permission from Tehran, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.
In comments to Turkish media on Thursday that were released on Friday, Uraloglu said Ankara had declared the highest-level security warning for the strait and continued contacts with Iranian officials regarding the situation of the remaining 14 Turkish-owned vessels there.
"Fifteen ships (with Turkish owners) were there; we obtained permission from the Iranian authorities for one of them, which had used an Iranian port, and it passed," Uraloglu said.
The ministry said the ship that passed the strait was the Rozana. It added that Turkish-owned vessels had a total of 171 personnel in the area.
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, leaving tankers and other ships stranded, which has stoked concerns about global energy supply.
Separately, the ministry said Turkish Airlines THYAO.IS and Ajet had cancelled flights to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Bahrain and Dammam until March 19, while flights to Iran were cancelled until March 20.
Pegasus Airlines PGSUS.IS cancelled flights to Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha, Amman, Beirut, Iraq, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah until March 23, while cancelling Iran flights until March 28, it added.
Turkish Airlines has added flights to Oman, it said, adding that 76 flights had been diverted to Turkey since the start of the war on February 28.
(Reuters - Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler and Alex Richardson)