Vietnam coordinating with Iran to ensure safe navigation of Vietnamese vessels through Strait of Hormuz

The foreign ministry's spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang made the remarks at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on Thursday, saying designated Vietnamese agencies, both at home and abroad, have been in continuous contact with Iranian counterparts to facilitate the safe navigation of Vietnamese-flagged ships through the waterway.

Specifically, based on guidance from Iranian authorities, the ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Construction and Vietnamese shipping enterprises to provide the Iranian authorities with technical information related to vessels seeking to transit the strait, Hang said.

She cited Vietnamese representative missions in the Middle East and relevant shipowners as saying that all Vietnamese vessels and crew operating in the Strait of Hormuz area remain safe.

The foreign ministry will continue coordinating with relevant ministries, agencies, businesses, and Iranian authorities to address necessary technical requirements, with the aim of ensuring the safe and timely passage of Vietnamese ships and seafarers through the corridor, Hang said.

At the same time, it will continue to closely monitor the situation and take necessary protection measures should any issues arise.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy chokepoint through which around 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows.

Following a military conflict in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel, and Iran that broke out in late February, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was severely disrupted after Iran blockaded the waterway, exposing vessels to heightened risks.

On April 18, Iran’s military announced that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed again just hours after briefly reopening.

Iranian authorities also said reopening the strait would be ‘impossible’ as long as U.S. sanctions and restrictions targeting Iranian ports remain in place.

In a related development, responding to questions on fuel supply security amid tensions in the Middle East, Hang said Vietnamese authorities and enterprises in the fuel import export sector have been proactively working with regional and international partners to implement long-term supply contracts.

Vietnam is also seeking to diversify fuel supply sources to reduce reliance on any single market and ensure stable supplies for production, business activities, and domestic consumption, she added.