Ships are seen near in the Persian Gulf on Saturday. (AFP via Yonhap) Two more South Korean-operated vessels have exited the Strait of Hormuz, Seoul’s oceans ministry said Sunday, leaving only three Korean ships inside the Persian Gulf after weeks of disruption caused by war in the Middle East.At the outbreak of the conflict, 26 South Korean-operated ships were stranded in the Gulf. As of Sunday, a total of 23 vessels had transited the key waterway, all of which were planning to exit immediately after a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran.According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the two vessels with four Korean crew members aboard passed through the strait on Saturday. The ships had received passage approval from Iranian authorities following the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran.With the latest departures, three South Korean-operated ships remained in the Gulf on Sunday. The number of Korean nationals still in the area stood at 43, including 13 aboard Korean vessels and 30 aboard foreign vessels.No deaths have been reported aboard Korean vessels during the evacuation process.“The government supported the safe navigation of the vessels by making diplomatic efforts to secure passage, monitoring the ships in real time and providing navigational information while they were passing through the strait,” the ministry said.“We will continue to provide information on passage-related developments for the three Korean ships still waiting inside the strait, so that shipping companies can draw up their own operational plans and ensure safe passage going forward,” it added.Among the remaining ships is HMM’s Namu, which is undergoing repairs at a port in Dubai after being damaged in a May 4 attack near the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel is reportedly expected to depart in mid-July.The two other ships have yet to complete cargo loading and other procedures before leaving the area, according to reports.Meanwhile, renewed US strikes on Iranian targets are raising concerns that the ceasefire arrangement could come under strain.The US Central Command said Saturday that its forces carried out fresh strikes against Iran after a Panama-flagged tanker was attacked by an Iranian drone earlier in the day.“Iran was given a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement but elected not to,” the command said in a statement, adding that the strikes were “in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.”The command said the strikes targeted Iranian military surveillance, communications, air defense, drone storage and mine-laying facilities.