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Alexis Romero - The Philippine Star
April 2, 2026 | 12:00am
A person points at a page on the Marinetraffic website that shows commercial boats traffic on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast, in Paris on March 4, 2026.
AFP / AFP / Julien dela Rosa
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has asked the Iranian government to regard the Philippines as a “non-hostile” country to ensure the safe passage of oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The request was relayed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro during a meeting with Iranian Ambassador Yousef Esmaeilzadeh yesterday, which was also attended by Energy Secretary Sharon Garin.
“The meeting was exceptionally warm and open. Given their stated readiness to cooperate, we are highly optimistic about a favorable outcome,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.
Castro quoted Esmaeilzadeh as saying that Iran has been awaiting the Philippines’ outreach and has reaffirmed its “strong willingness” to assist the country with its specific requests.
