Indonesia Targets Oil Sources Outside the Middle East

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, responded to the rise in global oil prices. He said the government had secured cooperation to obtain oil supplies from outside the Middle East.

The rise in global oil prices was triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to military conflict in the region. According to him, tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran are certain to disrupt energy distribution to international markets on a large scale.

Airlangga highlighted that the main problem that has arisen is the disruption of oil supply routes. In addition to the Strait of Hormuz, trade routes in the Red Sea are also experiencing serious disruptions. The Indonesian government is currently monitoring the duration of the fighting there. This step is important to measure the further economic impact on Indonesia.

“What is certainly disrupted is the oil supply. And the oil supply is disrupted because of the Strait of Hormuz, not to mention the Red Sea. So we will see how long this conflict will continue,” said Airlangga at a press conference at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Jakarta, Monday, 2 March 2026.

As a precautionary measure, the government has established cooperation to secure supplies. This cooperation targets oil sources outside the Middle East. One example is Pertamina, which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a US-based company.

The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs stated, “Yes, the government already has an MoU to obtain supplies from outside the Middle East. For example, recently Pertamina signed an MoU with several American companies, including Chevron, Exxon, and others.”

The search for new import sources is a top priority in the current global situation. The government is committed to continuing to monitor oil availability in other regions.

“Of course, we are monitoring what is available and what can be imported,” he stated.

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, 28 February 2026. The closure was carried out after a joint military attack by the United States and Israel. This strait is a very important transit route for global oil trade. The route connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.