ASEAN Foreign Ministers Call for Safe Passage of Ships in Strait of Hormuz

Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Monday called for the immediate restoration of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions in the critical waterway continue to raise alarm among maritime nations dependent on Gulf energy exports.

The appeal, conveyed through a joint statement, reflects growing anxiety among Asian economies over the potential disruption to one of the world's most strategically vital shipping lanes. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel separating Iran from the Arabian Peninsula, serves as the passage point for roughly 20 percent of global oil trade, making any threat to navigation there a concern of worldwide economic consequence.

ASEAN member states, which include major importers of Gulf liquefied natural gas and crude oil such as Japan, South Korea, China, and India as dialogue partners, have significant economic exposure to any prolonged closure or militarisation of the strait. The bloc's collective dependence on Gulf hydrocarbon exports has long made maritime security in the region a priority for its foreign policy deliberations.

Qatar, one of the world's leading exporters of liquefied natural gas, routes a substantial portion of its LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to Asian markets. Any sustained disruption to navigation would directly threaten Doha's energy export revenues and its long-term supply agreements with customers across East and Southeast Asia. Qatar's North Field, the world's largest natural gas reservoir, feeds an LNG export infrastructure that depends heavily on unimpeded access to international shipping lanes.

The ministers did not name any specific state as responsible for the threat to navigation but the call comes amid heightened maritime tensions in the Gulf region following a series of incidents involving vessels transiting the strait. Iran has previously threatened to close the waterway in response to international pressure over its nuclear programme and regional policies.

Gulf Cooperation Council states, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, have consistently maintained that freedom of navigation in international waters is non-negotiable and have called on the international community to uphold maritime law. The ASEAN statement adds a significant multilateral voice to those demands.

Diplomatic observers noted that the intervention by Southeast Asian foreign ministers carries particular weight given the region's role as one of the primary destinations for Gulf energy exports and its tradition of non-alignment in geopolitical disputes.