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).
Source: Bloomberg
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