Cosco container ships attempt second Strait of Hormuz exit after U-turning near Iran days earlier

Two container ships linked to China's state-owned Cosco Shipping Corp. made a second attempt to exit the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, weeks after being stuck in the Gulf since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran. The vessels, each capable of carrying around 19,000 containers, signaled Chinese ownership and crew onboard in an apparent bid to secure safe passage, the same tactic they used during a failed attempt on Friday that ended in a U-turn near Iran. Tehran has effectively closed the strait to most traffic in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes, with only select vessels including liquefied petroleum gas carriers receiving clearance to transit in recent weeks.