Chinese Ships Begin Passing Through Strait of Hormuz Under Iranian Protocol

Istanbul (ANTARA) - Chinese ships began crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night (13/5) under Iran’s “management protocol”, as reported by the Fars news agency on Thursday (14/5), citing sources familiar with the matter. The sources stated that the vessels were permitted to traverse the strategic waterway after complying with Iran’s “strait management protocol”. It was also mentioned that the passage of the Chinese ships was facilitated “based on the deep relations between the two countries and their strategic partnership”, following efforts by China’s foreign minister and ambassador to Iran. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that as many as 30 ships have crossed the strait since Wednesday night under the supervision of the Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The announcement comes after data from the Marine Traffic ship-tracking platform showed at least four China-linked vessels passing through the strait in the past 24 hours via Iran’s “safe” shipping corridor. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime routes for oil and gas shipments, has been practically closed to most ships since the start of the United States-Israel offensive against Iran in February, severely disrupting global energy and cargo flows. A ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect on 8 April through mediation by Pakistan, but negotiations in Islamabad failed to produce a long-term agreement. That ceasefire was subsequently extended indefinitely by US President Donald Trump without a specified time limit.