Third Turkish vessel safely exits Strait of Hormuz, minister says

Another Turkish-owned crude oil vessel has safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said, bringing the number of departed ships to three since the US-Israel war on Iran began.

The exit comes days after Türkiye said it was in contact with Iran and is looking for permission for Turkish-owned ships to pass through the key waterway that has been effectively shut since late February, Daily Sabah reports.

The second vessel transited the strait, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied gas supplies normally pass on a daily basis, days ago, while the first made an exit last month.

Iran has curtailed ​traffic in the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israeli strikes started on February 28, sending global oil and gas prices soaring. But it has appeared to allow passage for vessels from countries it ‌deems more ⁠friendly.

"As a result of the work we are conducting with our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Turkish-owned vessel named Ocean Thunder, which was en route carrying crude oil loaded from Iraq to Malaysia, safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz as of last night and completed its exit from the Gulf," he wrote.

The number of Turkish-owned vessels around the strait has decreased to 12, Uraloğlu said in a social media post.

He said the number of vessels requesting exit has decreased to eight. Uraloğlu added efforts were under way to ensure the safe transfer of the eight ships that wish to depart from the region and the 156 personnel serving on these vessels.

US President Donald Trump threatened to rain "hell" on Tehran if it did not make a deal by the end of Tuesday and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil ​prices fell more than $2 in choppy trade on April 6, as investors awaited clarity on the status of talks between the ‌Washington and Tehran and remained wary about sustained supply losses due to shipping disruptions.

Brent crude futures fell $1.92, or 1.76%, to $107.11 a barrel at 1037 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were trading down 1.82%, or $2.03, at $109.50 per barrel.

By Vafa Guliyeva