South Korea has reached an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to ship approximately four million barrels of crude oil, aimed at bolstering energy supplies amid disruptions caused by the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.

The deal comes as Iran claims control over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic Gulf chokepoint through which about a fifth of the world’s crude oil passes.

Seoul, heavily reliant on oil transported via the strait, said it had dispatched tankers to secure alternative fuel sources.

“We plan to immediately berth two South Korean-flagged oil tankers, each with a capacity of 2 million barrels, at alternative ports within the UAE that do not require passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” said presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik.

The agreement also includes a pledge that “up to 2 million barrels from the jointly held strategic reserves that the UAE stores in South Korea can be made available at any time upon request,” Kang added.

South Korea is the fourth-largest importer of crude oil globally, with about 70 percent of its imports passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to government data.