Iran briefly allowed several Chinese-owned cargo vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz late Saturday, reports Caixin. This move followed South Korean and Saudi-linked tankers defying Tehran's closure order and pushing through routes closer to Oman.

The passage suggested that the strait could reopen intermittently, even as Iran's military maintained earlier in the day that the waterway remained closed and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would not issue permits until further notice.

By Saturday night, Iran had cleared four Chinese-owned cargo ships and two Greek-owned cargo ships to pass through the strait.

The Chinese vessels included the 4,500-ton crane ship Chuangli, operated by the Shanghai Salvage Bureau, the heavy-lift carrier Jin Xuxiang 88, the 30,000-ton general cargo ship Qilinzuo, and the 20,000-ton general cargo ship Zhesan.

All four identified themselves during transit as 'CHINA OWNER & CREW,' underscoring Beijing's role in securing passage amid the ongoing closure of this vital global energy corridor.