Iran allowing Malaysian vessels to pass in Strait, PM says after talks with regional leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Reuters) – Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday he had spoken to the leaders of Iran, Egypt, Turkey and other regional countries and said Malaysian vessels were now being allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Anwar in a televised address thanked Iran’s president 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.

Anwar said he talked with Iran and other countries as part of efforts to facilitate peace in the Middle East.

“But it is not easy, as Iran feels it has been deceived repeatedly and finds it difficult to accept steps toward peace without a clear and binding security guarantee for their nation,” he said.  

Malaysia’s government would maintain oil price subsidies but is taking steps to weaken the impact of supply disruptions, he said, including reductions in the monthly allocations of subsidised fuel. 

“For us now, we are compelled to manage the situation because the effects of the blockade at the Strait of Hormuz, the war, and the halted supply of oil and gas all have an impact on us,” he said.

(Reporting by Ashley Tang; Writing by David Stanway; Editing by Martin Petty)