One of seven stranded Malaysian vessels sails through Hormuz
The effective closure of the strait has roiled markets and triggered a broad energy crisis
Published Tue, Apr 7, 2026 · 12:23 PM
[KUALA LUMPUR] One of seven Malaysian-owned commercial vessels previously stranded in the Strait of Hormuz has been “granted safe passage” and is heading to its destination, Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
This follows high-level diplomatic engagement, including a telephone conversation on Mar 26 between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamad Hasan also spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Mar 24.
Malaysia has maintained cordial diplomatic ties with Iran. Anwar has acknowledged Teheran’s right to defend its sovereignty while calling for a rapid resolution to the conflict.
Iran has cleared seven Malaysian tankers to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a flashpoint of the war in the Middle East. The vessels stranded in the vital waterway include those owned by Malaysian energy giant Petroliam Nasional, shipping firm MISC and Sapura Energy, The Star newspaper reported in March.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on details of the vessel that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz and the others still stranded.
“Malaysia remains firmly committed to the principle of freedom of navigation, safety and security of maritime passage, in accordance with international law,” the ministry said on Tuesday (Apr 7).
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The effective closure of the strait, which typically carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, has roiled markets and triggered a broad energy crisis. Two loaded liquefied natural gas carriers that had seemingly aborted an attempt to exit the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz are now headed towards Qatar.
US President Donald Trump said any agreement to end the Middle East conflict must guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, making the reopening of the key oil chokepoint a “very big priority” in ongoing talks with Iran. He also warned that if Teheran fails to meet his on Tuesday 8 pm Eastern Time deadline, the US could launch sweeping strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants. BLOOMBERG
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