Thailand has successfully negotiated an agreement with Iran to ensure the safe passage of Thai oil vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, announced the Southeast Asian country’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Saturday. This development comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, where Iranian forces have significantly restricted shipping traffic through the strategic waterway since the conflict began late last month.
Prime Minister Anutin emphasized that the agreement would help ease worries over fuel imports, stating, “With this agreement in place, there is greater confidence that disruptions like those seen in early March will not recur.” The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime route, with over 80 percent of crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passing through it destined for Asia, the US Energy Information Administration.
Fuel supply challenges have severely impacted Southeast Asia, with Thailand experiencing frequent long queues at petrol stations. In response, the government plans to continue adapting its strategies to mitigate the effects on the public. Anutin remarked, “The government will continue to adapt to evolving situations and adjust measures to minimise the impact on the public.”
Earlier this month, a Thai bulk carrier navigating the strait was attacked, resulting in three crew members going missing. The volume of commodities shipping through the Strait of Hormuz plummeted by 95 percent between March 1 and 26, maritime tracking platform Kpler, following the outbreak of the war.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Friday that they had turned back three ships attempting to transit the strait, declaring the route closed to vessels traveling to and from ports associated with its “enemies.” This month alone, 24 commercial vessels, including 11 tankers, have been attacked or reported incidents in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, or the Gulf of Oman, the British naval maritime security agency UKMTO.
