At a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Yongsan, Seoul, Iranian Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi said there have been no safety concerns so far involving South Korean vessels or crew members, adding that the foreign ministers and embassies of both countries are "communicating smoothly" on the issue.
Currently, some 26 South Korean vessels and their 178 crew members are stranded in the strategically important waterway, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
Koozechi also said that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asked South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun over the phone earlier this week to provide a list of stranded South Korean ships.
Despite the Middle Eastern country seeing South Korea as a "non-hostile country," it would be "unavoidable" for ships doing business with U.S. firms to face restrictions as part of its "self-defense measures," the envoy said on a radio program earlier in the day.
He also claimed that there is no dialogue between Tehran and Washington, saying Iran cannot trust U.S. statements and suspects the U.S. may be trying to buy time to prepare for renewed airstrikes.
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