Türkiye is in contact with Iran and is looking for permission from Tehran for 11 Turkish-owned ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior official said on Wednesday.
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has effectively shut the key waterway that normally carries around 20% of global crude, products and liquefied natural gas, stoking concerns about global energy supply.
A total of 14 Turkish-owned ships remain in the strait, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu told reporters.
Three are there for ongoing operations, including power generation, and are not asking to leave, Uraloğlu said.
The minister said discussions are ongoing for the others and Turkish authorities are in constant contact with the ships' crews.
Since the start of the conflict, Türkiye obtained permission for one Turkish-owned ship, which had used an Iranian port, Uraloğlu said earlier this month.
The month-long war that has roiled global markets and driven up energy prices. Energy exports including crude oil from Saudi Arabia and liquefied natural gas from Qatar have been effectively halted.
While there have been some discussions with Iran and countries such as India and Pakistan on getting their fleets through the Hormuz, oil and tanker markets have been looking for any signs that shipping traffic has picked up pace.
The majority of energy shipments that have passed through the waterway have related to Iran's oil exports, with a few other ships managing to sail through every day.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices fell briefly below $100 per barrel on Wednesday after Trump said the United States will be done attacking Iran probably in two to three weeks, and that the U.S. "will not have anything to do with" what happens next in the Strait of Hormuz.
