An oil tanker sails through the Strait of Hormuz. This is the result of the agreement with Iran
The Universal Winner tanker flying the South Korean flag is passing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, two Chinese ships carrying oil have also passed through the bottleneck in the past few days. The Korean Universal Winner was to obtain Iran's consent to transit through the strait. According to the Korea Times, the ship is following the route designated by Tehran and navigation safety is assured.
The oil transit takes place only about two weeks after a serious incident in which another South Korean tanker was attacked by unidentified air objects. The government in Seoul suspected Iran was behind the attack, but the investigation is still ongoing.
See also: Three oil tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz. They had their trackers turned off
The tanker was selected after consultations with Iran
Seoul sees Winner's transit as the result of long-term diplomatic efforts, including repeated contacts between Korean and Iranian officials.
According to a foreign ministry official, the tanker intended for transit was selected after consultations between Korea and Iran. Seoul was to prioritize ships that had more Korean crew members on board or were considered more important from South Korea's perspective.
According to Reuters, the Korean ship is carrying oil from Kuwait, and the cargo is scheduled to arrive on June 9 at the Korean port of Ulsan, where the country's largest refinery is located.
See also: Negative reactions to the US decision regarding Russia. “A gift for Putin”
Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers on Wednesday that the investigation into the attack on the tanker in early May was entering its final phase. The likelihood that the strike was caused by drones is reportedly decreasing, reports the Korea Times. Cho also revealed that Seoul had asked Tehran to conduct its own investigation. He added that Iran's foreign ministry “consistently denies” Iran's involvement in the attack.
