A Turkish-owned ship has successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz after receiving approval from Iranian authorities, Turkiye's Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.
Uraloglu, quoted by local media, said the vessel was among 15 Turkish-owned ships waiting near Iranian waters that Ankara has been discussing with Tehran.
"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, according to news website Haberturk.
The development comes amid heightened tensions in the region after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned it could target vessels passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks, effectively disrupting traffic through one of the world's most important oil shipping routes.
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Iran has earlier indicated that vessels from certain countries may still be allowed to transit the strait with prior approval. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said some governments had approached Tehran seeking permission to cross the waterway and that Iran had cooperated in some cases.
"Some countries have already talked to us about passing the strait and we have cooperated with them," Takht-Ravanchi said during an interview with AFP in Tehran.
However, he cautioned that countries involved in what Tehran describes as aggression against Iran should not expect similar treatment. "As far as Iran is concerned, we feel that those countries that joined the aggression should not benefit from safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Takht-Ravanchi also rejected allegations that Iran has deployed naval mines in the waterway, dismissing claims by US President Donald Trump that American forces had struck 28 Iranian minelaying vessels.
Meanwhile, Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Tehran would continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the world's busiest oil shipping channel, according to a statement broadcast on Iranian state television. Reports said that Mojtaba Khamenei did not appear in person, and the message was read out by a newsreader.
Iran would "avenge the blood" of those killed in the conflict with the United States and Israel, the statement said, while also warning neighbouring countries against hosting U.S. military bases.
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