Malaysia Urges US To Reconsider Move To Block Strait Of Hormuz - Mohamad Hasan

REMBAU, April 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has asked the United States (US) to reconsider its action to block the Strait of Hormuz because it has the potential to affect energy supplies and global economic stability.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the action could prevent the movement of merchant ships and cargo from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, thus having a major impact on global energy supplies and important materials including urea fertilizer.

He was unclear about the real purpose of the United States in doing so, especially when the country had previously called for international cooperation to ensure that the strategic route remained open.

"I don't know the purpose because the Strait of Hormuz should not be blockaded. Previously, Iran had agreed to open the strait on the condition that the 10 points proposed during the negotiations in Islamabad were agreed to by the US.

"(Blocking the route) will further worsen the situation of energy supply throughout the world and other supplies such as urea fertilizer. The world economy, agriculture, energy will become more acute. So I ask America to reconsider this action and all parties to negotiate again...America needs to open any form of blockade so that trade routes can pass through there,” he said.

Mohamad, who is also the Member of Parliament for Rembau and assemblyman for Rantau, told reporters after officiating the Southern Zone Level Bumiputera Entrepreneur Equity Convention at the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Rembau Campus here today.

Mohamad also called on all parties, including Iran, to ensure that trade routes in the strait remain open for the well-being of the international community and are not held hostage to conflicts and wars.

“A war between America and Iran or Iran and Israel, that is their war, the world cannot be held as a ransom, for whatever purpose, and America cannot do that because the world will face big problems,” he said.

President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US Navy will begin a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz immediately and also intercept every ship in international waters that has paid tolls to Iran.

Trump made the statement via a post on Truth Social a few hours after the US-Iran peace talks ended without reaching any agreement.

Meanwhile, Mohamad once again announced that he had asked Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York to consult with all countries contributing to the peacekeeping force in Lebanon to consider shortening the mandate of the peacekeeping force.

He said the move was appropriate given the current situation in Lebanon which is currently in a state of conflict, thus making the role of the peacekeeping force less relevant than when the mission was created.

-- BERNAMA