Malaysian vessels were now being allowed to pass through the strait of Hormuz, according to Malaysia’s prime minister, reports the Guardian. Anwar Ibrahim said in a televised address on March 26 that he had spoken to the leaders of Iran, Egypt, Turkey and other regional countries, and thanked Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, for allowing the passage of Malaysian ships. “We are now in the process of releasing the Malaysian oil tankers and the workers involved so that they may continue their journey home,” he said.

Approximately 50% of the Malaysia’s oil supply passes through the strait, making it heavily reliant on the trade, despite being an oil-producing nation.

A trickle of cargo ships and tankers – most of them Iranian, but some from Thailand and China – have made it through the strait of Hormuz since Iranian forces in effect blocked the strait in response to attacks by the U.S. and Israel.

Earlier, a Thai oil tanker safely passed through the strait after diplomatic coordination between Thailand and Iran. It was not required to pay to escape the blockade, a Thai official and the owner of the vessel said on March 25, and at least two Chinese-owned liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers have also reportedly transited through the strait. A Chinese-owned containership – the Newvoyager – also transited the waterway after making a payment to Iranian authorities, Lloyd’s List reported.