Sugiono Reaffirms Freedom of Navigation Amid Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sugiono, attended a virtual meeting with several countries from Europe and Asia on Friday, April 17, 2026, representing President Prabowo Subianto. The meeting discussed developments in the Strait of Hormuz.

During the forum, the minister emphasized the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in accordance with international law. He also underscored that the stability of global shipping lanes must be preserved to ensure the smooth flow of global supply chains.

“Indonesia reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” Sugiono said, as quoted from the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s official X account on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

He stressed that any measures restricting maritime access or disrupting international shipping could undermine the rules-based maritime order. In addition, Indonesia highlighted the importance of seafarer safety and the stability of global supply chains as shared priorities.

“Any measures that restrict maritime access or disrupt international shipping risk undermining the rules-based maritime order,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday announced that it had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz. The closure was carried out due to the continued blockade by the United States at the entrance of the strait.

The statement came after Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Friday (April 17, 2026) that the Strait of Hormuz was “fully open” for commercial vessels, in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon.