Amid a deepening global shipping crisis at the Strait of Hormuz, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Foreign Affairs to engage directly with Iran’s ambassador in Manila to secure unimpeded passage for tankers carrying crude oil to the Philippines.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed Tuesday that Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro is expected to meet with Iranian Ambassador Yousef Esmaeil Zadeh within days. “And according to Secretary Tess Lazaro of the Department of Foreign Affairs, she will talk with the ambassador of Iran, most probably tomorrow. If it doesn’t happen tomorrow, then by next week,” Castro said.
The urgency of the diplomatic push stems from the Philippines’ near-total dependence on Middle Eastern crude — 98 percent of the country’s oil imports originate from the region, with only 2 percent sourced elsewhere in Asia.
Iran has publicly stated that the strait remains open to all nations except the United States, Israel, and countries it considers complicit in attacks against it. While the Philippines holds a mutual defense treaty with Washington, Manila has no direct role in the conflict. Whether that distinction carries weight in Iran’s enforcement of its blockade remains to be seen.
The scale of the disruption is significant. Close to 2,000 vessels are currently stranded near the strait, which serves as the primary export corridor for petroleum from the Persian Gulf and accounts for roughly one-fifth of global oil supply. Shipping journal Lloyd’s List reported on March 25 that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had introduced a toll-booth-style checkpoint system to regulate which ships are allowed through.
The diplomatic effort follows a public call from Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who urged the Marcos administration to pursue high-level dialogue with Tehran to protect Philippine-bound vessels from disruption.
