RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry has confirmed that the presence of Iranian tankers in its waters, after evading a U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, constitutes the exercise of lawful transit rights under international law.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said Indonesia had received reports of foreign vessels, including Iranian ships, and carried out field verification and internal coordination.

“The Indonesian government views that these vessels are exercising their right of transit in accordance with international law,” she stated in a written response to journalists in Jakarta on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

She emphasized that navigation rules in all maritime zones, including Indonesian waters, are governed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which recognizes various transit regimes depending on the maritime zone.

Yvonne added that the ministry and relevant agencies will continue monitoring developments and maintain communication through appropriate diplomatic channels.

Reports from ship-tracking agency TankerTrackers revealed that a giant Iranian crude oil tanker, valued at nearly USD 220 million, had entered Indonesian waters after avoiding U.S. naval patrols.

The vessel, identified as HUGE (9357183) and operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), was last seen off Sri Lanka more than a week earlier before moving through Indonesia’s Lombok Strait toward the Riau Islands.

On Monday, May 4, TankerTrackers announced that a second Iranian supertanker, DERYA (9569700), had also entered the Lombok Strait carrying crude oil. The agency noted that the vessel had initially attempted to deliver 1.88 million barrels of oil to India in mid-April but later diverted southward, eventually being detected en route to the Riau Islands.

Indonesia’s stance highlights its adherence to international maritime law, even amid geopolitical tensions, while signaling its commitment to monitoring foreign vessel movements within its waters. ***