By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Sept. 15 for the latest round of reciprocal attacks in the Gulf to stop, warning that continued strikes were making diplomacy harder as Türkiye pressed for a return to pre-war navigation conditions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking in Baku alongside Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Fidan also linked the Hormuz crisis to Iran's stability. He said Iran's security, stability and prosperity directly affected the region and that the conflict should return to diplomacy rather than widen through another cycle of attacks.
On Hormuz, Fidan said safe, uninterrupted and free passage should be restored under conditions comparable to those before the war. Türkiye, he added, remained in contact with all relevant parties as it worked to reduce the fighting and restore regional security.
Shipping through Hormuz remained sharply reduced as Fidan spoke. Preliminary Kpler figures reported by Reuters showed four commodity vessels crossing the strait on Monday, down from 10 the previous day. Before the war began on Feb. 28, roughly 125 large commercial vessels used the passage each day. The figures exclude vessels that may have crossed with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off.
About 20% of the world's daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply normally passes through Hormuz. Traffic has fallen further after renewed attacks across the region and the postponement of planned talks between Gulf Arab states and Iran over arrangements for the waterway.
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority issued an updated list on Sept. 14 naming 77 vessels it said had breached Iranian passage rules, warning of possible fines, detention or confiscation. The measure followed earlier Iranian moves to introduce new controls around the Hormuz shipping regime.
Fidan has made the same case for restoring pre-war passage conditions several times this year. In April, he said regional governments wanted international traffic through Hormuz restored without additional payments or restrictions. He returned to the issue in June, saying unrestricted passage through the strait served global energy, trade and security interests.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Reuters, Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bosphorus News review and reporting.