Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)--A vessel carrying three Japanese crew members has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, heading for Japan, meaning that no vessels carrying Japanese nationals remain in the Persian Gulf, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday. No health problems have been reported among the Japanese crew members of the final vessel, according to the minister. "They have endured tremendous hardships, both physically and mentally, due to their prolonged stranding, and it is extremely important that they be evacuated as soon as possible," Motegi told a press conference. "We will continue diplomatic efforts to enable the remaining 37 Japan-linked vessels in the Persian Gulf to pass through the strait as soon as possible," Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on X, formerly Twitter. The crude oil tanker named Tenzan, which belongs to Japanese crude oil transporter Kyoei Tanker Co., transited the strait. It is believed to be loaded with crude oil. U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said that vessels carrying some 12.5 million barrels of crude oil had passed through the strait since a deal between the United States and Iran to end their conflict took effect. "Traffic through the strait has been recovering, though it has not reached pre-conflict levels," said University of Tokyo professor Hidenori Watanabe, who has been analyzing positioning data for vessels located in the gulf. With several vessels starting to enter the gulf through the strait, "traffic is returning to normal," he added. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]