The source told Fars news the move followed requests by China’s foreign minister and ambassador to Iran, with Tehran agreeing to facilitate the passage of a number of Chinese ships in line with the two countries’ strategic partnership.
Following the start of US and Israeli strikes on 28 February, Iran severely restricted transit in the Strait of Hormuz.A US blockade on Iranian ports which started a few days after a ceasefire agreed upon in early April has prolonged the crisis in the waterway, through which one-fifth of global oil and natural gas transit.
It was not immediately clear how far the move altered the situation on the ground, given Iran had already indicated during the war that neutral vessels, notably those linked to China, could transit the Strait as long as they coordinated with Iranian armed forces.
A Chinese supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, ship tracking data showed, after being stranded in the Gulf for more than two months due to the US-Iran war.
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