Iran has begun allowing some Chinese vessels to transit through the ​Strait of Hormuz following ⁠an understanding over Iranian management protocols for the waterway, ‌the semi-official Fars news agency said on Thursday, citing an informed source.

The ​Fars report came as U.S. President Donald Trump, who is on a ​state visit to ​China, agreed with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the Strait of Hormuz must be open for ⁠the free flow of energy.

The source told Fars news the move followed requests by China’s foreign minister and ambassador to Iran, with Tehran agreeing to facilitate the passage of a number ​of Chinese ‌ships in line with ⁠the two ⁠countries’ strategic partnership.

Following the start of U.S. and Israeli strikes on ​28 February, Iran severely restricted transit in ‌the Strait of Hormuz.

A U.S. blockade on ⁠Iranian ports which started a few days after a ceasefire agreed upon in early April has prolonged the crisis in the waterway, through which one-fifth of global oil and natural gas transit.

It was not immediately clear how far the move altered the situation on the ground, given Iran had already indicated during the war that neutral vessels, notably those ‌linked to China, could transit the Strait as long ⁠as they coordinated with Iranian armed forces.

A Chinese ​supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, ship tracking data showed, after ​being stranded ‌in the Gulf for more than two months ⁠due to the U.S.-Iran ​war.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Alex Richardson)