Bahlil Says Indonesia Still Intensely Seeking Iran's Approval to Pass Through Hormuz

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia has spoken out regarding Iran’s delay in opening the Strait of Hormuz to Indonesia, which has resulted in two Pertamina tanker ships remaining detained in the Arabian Gulf. Meanwhile, Malaysian ships have already received Iran’s approval to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Bahlil stated that the government is still working to release the two Pertamina ships, with intensive communications ongoing with relevant parties. “Yes, we are still communicating continuously. Indeed, it’s not easy for us to figure out how to get our ships out of the Strait of Hormuz,” Bahlil said at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in Jakarta, as reported by detikFinance on Friday (27/3/2026). Previously, Bahlil mentioned that this negotiation process would take considerable time. “We’re still negotiating now. There’s a long queue, isn’t there? It’s in negotiation, yes. Give us time. Still negotiating, still negotiating,” he explained when met at the ESDM Ministry Office in Jakarta on Tuesday (17/3). This negotiation process is taking place as Iran has begun opening communications with several countries whose ships are detained. “Alhamdulillah, even though we’re in a geopolitical situation where there are still no signs of the Middle East conflict being resolved, we’re getting a bit of fresh wind with the Strait of Hormuz starting to have a policy of opening and closing,” Bahlil said. For information, Iran has opened the Strait of Hormuz to countries it considers friendly. As a result, tanker ships from countries given the green light by Iran can exit the Strait of Hormuz. This statement was conveyed by the X social media account of the Iranian Consulate General in Mumbai, quoting a statement from Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi. At least five countries considered friendly are included, from Pakistan to Russia. “Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: We allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for friendly countries including China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan,” the post read, quoted from The Economic Times on Thursday (26/3). Additionally, Malaysia has also stated that it has been permitted by Iran to exit the Strait of Hormuz. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that Malaysian tanker ships have been allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. That decision resulted from discussions with Iranian leaders, Egypt, Turkey, and other regional countries. In a speech broadcast on television, Anwar thanked Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for allowing Malaysian ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. “We are now in the process of freeing the Malaysian oil tankers and the workers involved so they can continue their journey home,” Anwar said, quoted from Reuters on Thursday (26/3).