RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Indonesian government continues to monitor geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East that are disrupting global energy supplies and triggering price increases due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As a precautionary measure, the government is now pursuing diplomacy while seeking alternative oil sources.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources as the Daily Chair of DEN, Bahlil Lahadalia, made the statement after the 1st DEN Member Meeting of 2026 at his office on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.

He revealed that the closure of this strategic sea lane has a major global impact because around 20.1 million barrels of oil pass through it every day. Indonesia imports around 25 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East, according to DEN data.

Furthermore, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources explained that diplomatic efforts are being made to release the oil tankers stranded there. The government continues to maintain intensive communication so that the ships can immediately leave the conflict area.

“The first issue is related to two ships from the Strait of Hormuz that are currently making their way back. This was also discussed by Pertamina. We are currently engaged in diplomatic efforts to find a better way to get them out,” Bahlil said.

In addition to diplomacy, Bahlil mentioned that the government has drawn up a road map to find oil sources from other regions. Indonesia has reached out to markets in the United States to Africa to reduce the risk of dependence.

Bahlil said, “It turns out that after we detailed it, of our total crude imports, approximately 20 to 25 percent comes from the Middle East. The rest we take from Africa, from Angola, from America, and then from several other countries such as Brazil.”

One tangible manifestation of this strategy is the strengthening of trade cooperation with the United States. This commitment was reinforced through the signing of an ART document with a very large investment value for national energy procurement.

“One of our commitments in the ART document that we signed is that we will purchase fuel, crude fuel, and LPG in the United States for approximately USD 15 billion,” he said.

Bahlil said this step was taken because the tension between Iran, Israel, and the United States is difficult to predict when it will end. Diversifying import sources is considered the most realistic solution to maintain domestic fuel stocks.

He said, “Even though information has been reported that these tensions will end in what some say is 5 days, others say 4 weeks, but our belief, after conducting a review, is that we cannot predict when this will end.”