Indonesia–Iran Negotiations on Pertamina’s Tanker Passage Continue: Govt

RRI.CO.ID, Tokyo - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said negotiations with Iran over the passage of a Pertamina-owned tanker through the Strait of Hormuz are still ongoing. He noted that Iran has sent positive signals during the talks.

“This is still being discussed, still under negotiation, and there are positive signals. We’ll see how the implementation goes,” Sugiono said on Monday, March 30, 2026, while accompanying President Prabowo Subianto’s official visit to Tokyo, Japan.

Previously, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang revealed that Iran had begun signaling a positive stance toward the passage of Pertamina’s tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.

She said the Iranian Embassy in Jakarta had conveyed the Iranian government’s position to the ministry. “There are several required details regarding the vessels, which have been forwarded to the Iranian government,” Yvonne said in a written statement on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

She added that the ministry is coordinating further with Pertamina in response to these developments. “Technical readiness is required from Pertamina, including insurance coverage and crew preparedness, before proceeding with the Iranian government’s positive response,” she said.

Two tankers owned by PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), a subsidiary of the state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, the PIS Rinjani and PIS Paragon successfully transited the strait on March 10.

The stranding of Pertamina’s tankers is a consequence of the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States. Iran has restricted access to the Strait of Hormuz in response to attacks by Israel and the US. (Gusti Panji/Lasti Martina)