Jakarta. Indonesian tankers have had to cancel their plan to exit the Strait of Hormuz after Iran reversed its decision on reopening the narrow waterway.

On Saturday, state-owned oil giant Pertamina announced that its two oil tankers — which had long been unable to exit the Strait of Hormuz — were getting ready for passage after Iran lifted its blockade. The hope was short-lived as Tehran quickly reimposed the restrictions following Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports. Indonesia's Pertamina Pride and Gamsunoro vessels are still stuck in the Persian Gulf. The strait is the only sea passage that links the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.

“Our two tankers remain at the Persian Gulf and can’t pass the Strait of Hormuz. We will continue to monitor the very dynamic situation in this strait,” Vega Pita, the acting corporate secretary to the marine logistics subsidiary Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), said Sunday.

Vega went on to explain that PIS would continue to engage in intense coordination efforts with authorities as the company works on a safe passage plan.

“Our priority is the safety of all crewmembers, the tankers, and the cargo. We hope the situation in the strait improves as soon as possible so our tankers can immediately continue their journey safely,” Vega said.

Leaders and senior officials from dozens of countries — Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono —  recently held an international Strait of Hormuz conference, which highlighted unrestricted transit passage as the bedrock of international trade.

“Any measures that restrict maritime access or disrupt international shipping risk undermine the rules-based maritime order. Ensuring the safety of seafarers and maintaining stable global supply chains remain paramount,” Sugiono said.

Uncertainties over the strait — which handles a quarter of global seaborne oil trade — remain high. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his country’s forces had seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get past Washington’s naval blockade near the strait. The Iranian side had warned it would retaliate “soon” following the seizure. 

Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in late February. The shutdown has disrupted the world’s energy supplies. The stuck Pertamina Pride was supposed to carry light crude oil for Indonesia. The flaring tensions have caused the global crude benchmark Brent to rise almost 7% to above $96 a barrel on Monday. Oil prices had repeatedly broken the $100-a-barrel barrier throughout the war.

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