The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that Iran has provided formal assurances that Filipino vessels will be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz safely and without interference. According to the agency, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi relayed the pledge directly in a telephone call with his Philippine counterpart, Ma. Theresa Lazaro.
The statement from Manila noted that the assurance is meant to help secure deliveries of key commodities that the Philippines imports from the Middle East. Specifically, the agency highlighted oil and fertilizer as categories of cargo that would be affected by unobstructed transit through the waterway.
Manila framed the guarantee as protecting both the safety of Filipino seafarers operating in the area and the country's energy supplies. The Department of Foreign Affairs said the assurance will facilitate the delivery of oil and fertilizer supplies to the Philippines.
The Philippines has been actively seeking oil supplies after Iran tightened its control over traffic through the strait amid conflict in the Middle East, the department noted. That tightening of controls prompted Manila to pursue assurances about the movement of its vessels.
While the department's statement centers on the verbal assurance given during the phone call between the two foreign ministers, it emphasized the practical aims of the pledge: ensuring that shipments can reach the Philippines and that personnel aboard those ships are protected during transit.
The announcement did not provide additional operational details about how the assurance will be implemented or enforced, nor did it include further comment from either government beyond the account issued by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.
Context and implications
The statement links the assurance to two operational concerns raised by Manila: steady delivery of energy and fertilizer imports, and the safety of Filipino seafarers in waters where traffic controls have recently been tightened. The department framed the Iranian pledge as a measure that will ease the movement of essential shipments bound for the Philippines.