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Iran has pledged to allow safe passage for Philippine oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, as the country faces a fuel crisis driven by the ongoing Middle East war.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the assurance followed a “productive phone conversation” between Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro and her Iranian counterpart, during which Tehran committed to ensuring the safe movement of Philippine-flagged vessels and Filipino seafarers.
“The Iranian Foreign Minister assured the Secretary that Iran will allow the safe, unhindered, and expeditious passage through the Strait of Hormuz of Philippine-flagged vessels, energy sources, and all Filipino seafarers,” the department said in a statement.
The move is expected to help secure the steady delivery of oil and fertilizer supplies to the Philippines, which imports the majority of its energy from the Middle East.
The development comes after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos declared a state of national energy emergency last week, warning that “nothing was off the table” as the country seeks to manage the impact of the conflict on global fuel supplies.
Fuel prices in the Philippines have reached historic highs since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, with Tehran effectively restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Lazaro said in a post on X that the call resulted in a “positive understanding on the safety of our seafarers and the security of our energy supply.”
A day before the call, Lazaro also met Iran’s ambassador in Manila to seek formal recognition of the Philippines as a “non-hostile country.”
Amid disruptions in supply, the operator of the Philippines’ sole oil refinery reported purchasing Russian crude after at least four million barrels in shipments were canceled following the start of the war.
Petron Corp said it had acquired around 2.5 million barrels of Russian crude out of “extreme necessity,” according to a report submitted to the Philippine stock exchange.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) previously reported that a tanker carrying Russian crude had already arrived at the port servicing Petron’s refinery, marking a shift made possible after the U.S. eased sanctions related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Philippines’ announcement comes days after Malaysia said its tankers would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without paying tolls to Iran, as countries in the region seek to maintain energy flows amid escalating tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Washington was “very close” to achieving its objectives, while also warning of potential escalation against Iran in the coming weeks.
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