Indonesian Navy Confirms Presence of US Warship in Malacca Strait
The Indonesian National Armed Forces Navy (TNI AL) has confirmed the presence of a United States warship in the Malacca Strait. TNI AL stated that the foreign vessel is utilising the right of transit passage in accordance with international law.
The Head of the Navy Information Service, First Admiral Tunggul, reported that the US warship, USS Miguel Keith, was detected in the waters east of Belawan on Saturday, 18 April 2026, around 3:00 PM Western Indonesia Time. The ship was observed heading northwest at a speed of 13.1 knots via the Automatic Identification System (AIS).
Tunggul explained that the Malacca Strait is a waterway used for international shipping. “Shipping solely for the purpose of continuous, direct, and expeditious transit between one part of the high seas or exclusive economic zone and another part of the high seas or exclusive economic zone,” he stated.
Tunggul said that the presence of the warship in the Malacca Strait is part of legitimate international shipping activities. The US warship, he added, has the right to transit passage in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), particularly Articles 37, 38, and 39. Indonesia has ratified the convention.
The presence of the warship in the Malacca Strait has come under scrutiny following the United States’ announcement of operations to hunt Iranian vessels. The two countries are at war after the US, along with Israel, attacked Iran at the end of February.
Currently, the United States is implementing a blockade against Iranian vessels to exert economic pressure on the Gulf nation. The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, stated that they will pursue ships affiliated with Iran, even in waters far beyond the Middle East.
“We will actively hunt Iranian-flagged vessels or other ships attempting to provide material assistance to Iran,” Caine said, as quoted by The Jerusalem Post on Saturday, 18 April 2026. General Caine specifically mentioned the Indo-Pacific region, where the Malacca Strait is located, in the pursuit.