Korean tanker passes through Strait of Hormuz after Seoul-Tehran coordination

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun responds to lawmakers’ questions during a National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee session, Wednesday, regarding the attack on cargo vessel HMM Namu near the Strait of Hormuz. Yonhap

A Korean tanker that had been stranded near the Strait of Hormuz passed through the strait along an Iran-approved route on Wednesday after coordination between Seoul and Tehran.

It marked the first known transit by a Korean vessel since maritime traffic in the region was disrupted earlier this year.

"An oil tanker of Korea has passed the Strait of Hormuz and is continuing its voyage," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

A ministry official said that Iran informed the Korean Embassy in Tehran on Monday night that one Korean vessel would be allowed to transit the strait. The Korean government relayed the message to shipping company HMM, which later decided to proceed with the voyage.

The vessel, identified as the HMM-owned crude oil carrier Universal Winner, began sailing from waters near Qatar early Tuesday and passed through the strait on Wednesday evening, according to the ministry. About 10 Korean crew members were aboard the tanker.

“The move is taking place in coordination with Iran and other relevant countries to ensure navigational safety,” the official said, adding that neither the government nor the company paid Iran.

The transit came about two weeks after HMM Namu, another HMM-operated vessel in the region, was struck by two unidentified airborne objects on May 4. The government suspects an Iranian entity was behind the attack, although it remains cautious about confirming the attacker, citing its ongoing investigation.

The official said discussions over vessel passage had already been underway before the attack on Namu and that the two issues should not be interpreted as being directly linked.

He said that Seoul viewed the transit as the result of sustained diplomatic efforts, including repeated contact between Korean and Iranian officials.

The tanker selected for transit was chosen after consultations between Korea and Iran, with Seoul prioritizing ships carrying more Korean crew members or those considered more important from Korea’s perspective, according to the official.

The Universal Winner is carrying crude oil bound for Ulsan, according to shipping data previously reported by international media.

Besides Universal Winner, 25 other Korean-linked vessels, including Namu, remain in the region. Four of them are tankers.

Asked whether coordination with Iran could expose the vessel to the risk of U.S. sanctions, the official said Seoul did not view the transit as a sanctionable activity because the government’s role was limited to requesting safe passage rather than negotiating commercial arrangements.

The official added that Korea had maintained communication with the U.S. on major developments related to the issue and did not see a risk of sanctions in this case.

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Musandam, Oman, Monday / Reuters-Yonhap

In the meantime, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers Wednesday that the likelihood had decreased that the damage to HMM Namu was caused by a drone attack, with Korea’s investigation entering its final stage.

There have been suspicions that the impacts were caused by drones or missiles.

“It is true that the possibility of it being drones has somewhat decreased,” Cho said, while stressing that scientific analysis must be completed before any conclusion is reached.

Cho said investigators had recovered all available debris linked to the strikes and were conducting detailed examinations in Korea.

“The investigation is almost at its final stage,” Cho said.

Cho also disclosed that Seoul had asked Tehran to conduct its own investigation.

Referring to his phone call Sunday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Cho said he had asked Iran to “look into it as well” and cooperate if necessary.

He added that Iran’s foreign ministry had “consistently denied” the Iranian government's involvement.

Lawmakers also questioned whether the attack was connected to “Project Freedom,” a U.S.-led initiative supporting commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Cho, however, maintained a cautious stance.

“It can be viewed in that context, but it is difficult to conclude there was a direct connection,” he said.

Cho reiterated that it would be premature to conclude that the Iranian military or a specific Iranian entity was responsible before the investigation is completed.