Two Pertamina Ships Yet to Cross Strait of Hormuz, Analyst: Just a Technical Issue

Two Pertamina ships, Gamsunoro and VLCC, are still held up in the Strait of Hormuz and have not yet been able to cross the narrow waterway. The Indonesian government and Iran have negotiated on the matter, with Tehran giving the green light for the Pertamina ships to pass. “(But) they’ve already been given the green light (by Iran), it’s just a technical issue now,” explained Professor of International Law at the University of Indonesia, Hikmahanto Juwana, quoted from Kompas.com on Sunday (29/3/2026). If the tankers are allowed to pass, they could be perceived as adversaries by the United States (US). Conversely, if they do not pass, it would be seen as Iran supporting US aggression. “In this context, Indonesia is in a dilemmatic position. The problem is that a country considered a friend by Iran will be seen as an enemy by the US,” he explained. It is certain that supporting US aggression against Iran falls into the first category. In fact, at present, the Pentagon is planning a ground attack on Iranian territory, specifically on the most important oil facilities on Kharg Island. “Our forces are waiting for the arrival of American troops in the field to burn them and punish their regional allies once and for all,” stated Bagher, quoted from Al Jazeera on Sunday (29/3/2026). Additionally, several areas around Tehran are known to be experiencing power outages. Iran’s Ministry of Energy is deliberately doing this as a simulation for the capital’s residents in case a US attack hits its main power generation facilities. “This shows how they have also prepared themselves for such a situation,” explained Al Jazeera. It is predicted that on 6 April 2026, the US will soon resume its attacks on Iran.