Indonesia Not Yet Allowed Through Strait of Hormuz, Negotiations Intense
Two Pertamina tankers are still held in the Arabian Gulf because Iran has not opened access to the Strait of Hormuz for Indonesia. Meanwhile, several countries, such as Malaysia, have already been granted permission to pass through.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the government is continuing efforts to release the ships through communication channels and intensive negotiations.
“Yes, we are still communicating. 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, Jakarta, on Friday (27/3/2026), as reported by detikFinance.
Bahlil acknowledged that the negotiation process is not easy and requires time due to the long queue of ships from various countries.
“We are still negotiating now. There’s a long queue. It’s in negotiation, yes. Give us time. Still negotiating, still negotiating,” he stated when met at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources office, Jakarta, on Tuesday (17/3).
According to him, communication continues amid the Middle East geopolitical dynamics that show no signs of abating.
“Alhamdulillah, even though in the current geopolitical situation with no signs that the conflict in the Middle East is over, we are getting a bit of fresh wind with the Strait of Hormuz starting to have an open-close policy,” Bahlil said.
Iran Opens for Certain Countries
Amid this situation, Iran is known to have begun opening limited access to the Strait of Hormuz for countries considered friendly.
This policy was conveyed through the X social media account of the Iranian Consulate General in Mumbai, quoting a statement from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“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 (26/3/2026).
Meanwhile, Malaysia confirmed that its tanker has been allowed to pass. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the permission was obtained after communication with several regional leaders.
In a speech broadcast on television, Anwar also expressed thanks to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for the policy.
“We are now in the process of freeing the Malaysian oil tanker and the involved workers so they can continue their journey home,” Anwar said, quoted from Reuters, on Thursday (26/3/2026).