An oil tanker that departed Yanbu port in Saudi Arabia in April, during the height of the Strait of Hormuz blockade, arrives in South Korea. The vessel was the first Korean oil tanker to enter the country via the Red Sea rather than the Strait of Hormuz, docking at GS Caltex's crude oil terminal in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. [Yonhap]
An oil tanker that departed Yanbu port in Saudi Arabia in April, during the height of the Strait of Hormuz blockade, arrives in South Korea. The vessel was the first Korean oil tanker to enter the country via the Red Sea rather than the Strait of Hormuz, docking at GS Caltex's crude oil terminal in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. [Yonhap]

A 15th Korean vessel is transporting crude oil home via the Red Sea detour since the Strait of Hormuz was closed following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Sunday that one Korean oil tanker is currently transiting the Red Sea en route to South Korea. It is the 15th Korean ship to carry crude oil via the Red Sea since the strait was closed in late February. The vessel loaded crude at Yanbu port in Saudi Arabia.

Although the Strait of Hormuz reopened last month following a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, renewed military clashes between the two countries have prompted Iran to declare the strait closed again. The government has decided to continue routing crude oil shipments through the Red Sea for now.

The Red Sea route itself is also under threat, however, as military tensions have flared again between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi rebels based near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Meanwhile, the United States and Iran have been trading military strikes since Iran attacked a merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz during ceasefire negotiations. The US has carried out airstrikes on Iranian military facilities around the strait for seven consecutive days through Saturday. Iran has retaliated by striking US military bases and other targets in American-allied Middle Eastern countries, including Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com