Khaberni - China confirmed on Tuesday that three container ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had closed amid the Middle East war, expressing its "gratitude" for the step.
Vessel tracking data showed that two of the three ships crossed the vital oil and gas transport strait on Monday as they left the Gulf.
The "CSCL Indian Ocean" crossed the strait at around 9:14 GMT on Monday, followed by the "CSCL Arctic Ocean" 27 minutes later, according to data from the maritime monitoring service "Marine Traffic".
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing, "After coordinating with relevant parties, three ships recently crossed the Strait of Hormuz. We express our gratitude to the relevant parties for the assistance provided".
Iran did not mention or provide details about the third ship.
Shipping through the strait has slowed down in recent weeks with Iran almost completely shutting down the waterway following American-Israeli attacks on the country.
The two large container ships, "CSCL Indian Ocean" and "CSCL Arctic Ocean", belong to China's state-owned shipping giant COSCO, which declined to comment on the crossings when asked by AFP news agency.
The two ships passed near Larak Island on their way to Port Klang in Malaysia.
According to data on the "Marine Traffic" website, the two ships canceled an attempt to cross on Friday.
Iran indicated that the strait is open to ships from "friendly countries", noting that it has good diplomatic relations with China.
COSCO announced on Wednesday the resumption of bookings for shipments from Asia to several Gulf countries without using the routes that pass through Hormuz.
The company, headquartered in Shanghai, had earlier suspended bookings for services through the strait in March due to the war.
