Jakarta. Two Pertamina tankers remain stuck in the Persian Gulf, according to the company’s representative, as close neighbor Malaysia clinched Iran’s all-clear to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in late February. The Iranian territorial waters extend into the strait, putting the fate of a quarter of global seaborne oil trade in Tehran’s hands. The month-long fighting has caused countless vessels to remain stranded, including two oil tankers belonging to Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), the marine logistics arm of Indonesia’s state-run energy firm.

“[The tankers] are still in the Persian Gulf,” PIS acting corporate secretary Vega Pita told the Jakarta Globe via text on Friday.

Vega said that the crews in these vessels “were all safe”. She did not disclose more details.

One of the trapped tankers — the VLCC Pertamina Pride — was carrying light crude oil meant to add Indonesian supplies. The second vessel, Gamsunoro, was serving a third-party cargo.

The Indonesian government has previously stated that it would try to convince Iran to let Pertamina tankers go via diplomacy. The Strait of Hormuz is the only way out of the Persian Gulf. 

The Globe has reached out to the Foreign Ministry to comment on how the diplomacy is going. 

From a supply standpoint, Indonesia is now tapping oil sources “from almost every country”, according to Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia on Thursday.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had recently announced that his country had secured Hormuz passage. He also thanked Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a televised speech for giving the green light.

“We are in the process of releasing the Malaysian oil ships and the workers, so they can continue their journey home,” Anwar said.

Anwar will soon meet President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta for Iran war talks, as the conflict has fueled a worldwide energy crunch unseen in years. The global crude benchmark Brent reached $106 per barrel on Friday.

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