Strait of Malacca in spotlight amid Hormuz tensions: Why it’s vital to global shipping | Today’s news

The disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has brought renewed attention to the Strait of Malacca, one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world, carrying more than a fifth of global maritime trade.

The narrow waterway between Malaysia and Indonesia, which connects the Indian and Pacific oceans via Singapore, has emerged as a critical link in global supply chains as vessels reroute amid tensions in the Middle East.

According to thesun.my, industry experts say the Straits of Malacca are already experiencing overflows due to disruptions in both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, although Malaysian ports have so far been able to handle additional traffic.

Route changes increase the pressure, but the ports can handle it

Mohamed Safwan Othman, president of the Shipowners Association of Malaysia, was quoted by thesun.my as saying the diverted vessels were putting further pressure on one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

“The spillover effect needs to be taken into account as vessels are forced to change course. This will cause port congestion which must be addressed by port operators to ensure cargo movement is not disrupted,” Safwan was quoted as saying in the statement.

He reportedly added that both the Red Sea crisis and the latest tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused more ships to change course.

“However, the congestion that occurred was well managed by the ports in Malaysia,” he said.

Safwan noted that approximately US$7 trillion worth of trade passes through the Straits of Malacca annually, making it a central part of Malaysia’s shipping industry and Asian trade.

A strategic gateway connecting East and West

According to the reporter, Safwan said the geographic advantage of the strait is to provide the shortest and most efficient sea route connecting China, Japan and South Korea to markets in India, Africa and Europe.

He highlighted the importance of Malaysian ports such as Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas, which depend on continuous shipping.

Safwan also emphasized that cooperation between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore remains essential to maintain navigational safety, environmental protection and emergency preparedness, including oil spill response.

“Malacca is not an alternative to Hormuz”

Separately, Mohammad Khairuddin Othman, a research fellow at the Asian Institute of International Affairs and Diplomacy at Universiti Utara Malaysia, as quoted by thesun.my, said the Malacca Strait should not be considered a substitute for the Strait of Hormuz.

Instead, he described it as Asia’s second major maritime hub in the region’s energy and trade supply chain.

“The Malacca Strait is more accurately viewed as the second critical point in the energy and trade supply chain to Asia. Much of the oil passing through Hormuz would continue to sail through Malacca before reaching consumer countries,” he told thesun.my.

Khairuddin explained that while Hormuz serves as a major export route for Gulf oil and liquefied natural gas, Malacca acts as a corridor transporting these shipments onward to East Asian markets.

Higher congestion could increase the risk of accidents

According to the news outlet, Khairuddin warned that uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz could force shipping operators to adjust schedules, slow down vessels or wait for updated security assessments, leading to unpredictable patterns of arrivals in the Strait of Malacca.

“This could cause vessel arrival patterns in the Strait of Malacca to become uncertain, increasing traffic congestion at certain times, especially along major sea routes and key ports.”

He reportedly warned that increased traffic in the waterway’s limited navigational space could increase the risk of vessel collisions, shipping accidents and oil spills.

Call for stronger maritime surveillance

Khairuddin also said the Straits of Malacca continued to face security threats, including illegal ship-to-ship transfers, maritime piracy and smuggling, despite significant improvements in maritime security over the past two decades through joint patrols.

He called on Malaysia to strengthen awareness of the maritime domain by expanding real-time monitoring and information sharing.

According to thesun.my, in addition to deeper operational cooperation with Indonesia and Singapore, he recommended greater use of technologies such as automatic identification system (AIS), coastal surveillance radar, vessel traffic management systems, maritime drones, satellite monitoring and remote sensing.

He emphasized that protecting energy flows in Asia increasingly depends on the resilience of the entire maritime supply chain rather than the security of a single choke point.

What is the Strait of Malacca

The Strait of Malacca is a 900 km (550 mi) waterway between Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore that provides the shortest sea route connecting East Asia with the Middle East and Europe. As one of the busiest sea lanes in the world, it serves as a critical corridor for global trade and energy supplies.

At its narrowest point in Phillips Strait in the Singapore Strait, the channel is only 2.7 km wide, creating a natural bottleneck for maritime traffic.

Parts of the strait are relatively shallow, with depths ranging from 25 to 27 meters (82-90 ft).

These depth restrictions limit access for some of the world’s largest ships, resulting in some ultra-large vessels avoiding the route altogether and instead sailing around Indonesia.

Although this alternative route bypasses the Straits of Malacca, it significantly increases sailing time, delays cargo deliveries and increases shipping costs.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, according to an April 23 Reuters report, the Strait of Malacca is the world’s largest oil transit strait, surpassing even the Strait of Hormuz.

In the first half of 2025, approximately 23.2 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) passed through the Strait of Malacca, representing 29% of global offshore oil flows. By comparison, about 20.9 million bpd passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Separately, the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that the Strait of Hormuz handles nearly 22% of global maritime trade, transporting oil and liquefied natural gas from the Middle East to major Asian importers such as China, Japan and South Korea.

The alternative route controversy raises new tensions over the Strait of Hormuz

Controversy over an alternative shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz has reignited tensions in the Persian Gulf, with Iran warning that any attempt by commercial vessels to bypass its preferred transit corridor could complicate efforts to fully reopen one of the world’s most important energy bottlenecks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said ships should continue to use navigational measures imposed by Tehran and warned that alternative routes would only increase regional tensions.

“Any attempt to take new or separate measures compared to what is going on in the Islamic Republic of Iran will only lead to more complicated situations and delays in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and increase tensions,” Araghchi said.

Oman’s alternative route draws Tehran’s ire

The warning came days after Oman announced an alternative navigation route hugging its coast, saying the arrangement was developed in collaboration with the International Maritime Organization.

Tehran criticized the move, insisting that the vessels should continue to pass through the corridor close to Iran’s coast. Although dozens of ships have recently sailed through the Omani side of the waterway, Iran insists that any changes in navigation measures must be agreed through consultations with Oman and other Gulf states.

The released memorandum states that the future management of the Strait of Hormuz will be decided through dialogue with regional countries while maintaining compliance with international law.

Military tensions persist despite the ceasefire

The diplomatic row unfolded as military exchanges between Iran and the United States continued despite a ceasefire that came into effect in April following a Pakistan-brokered deal to end the conflict that erupted after US and Israeli military operations against Iran in February.

The United States Central Command said it struck 10 Iranian military targets in response to what it described as continued Iranian aggression against merchant shipping.

Iran said it retaliated by attacking US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting condemnation from both Gulf countries.

Read also | Oil prices extended their decline for a third session amid ongoing US-Iran talks

Iran tightens control over shipping

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was pushing for tougher measures to control traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that vessels violating its navigation guidelines would face tougher action than before.

Tehran has also indicated it is discussing a permanent toll system that would formalize its oversight of commercial shipping on the waterway.

Although the Strait of Hormuz lies in both Iranian and Omani territorial waters, customary international law generally guarantees transit passage and does not allow any country to unilaterally block merchant shipping or impose transit fees.

Global Energy Road

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and routinely carries around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) reserves, making it one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.

Before the conflict, roughly 138 ships passed through the strait each day, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center. At the height of the disruption following the outbreak of hostilities in February, daily traffic fell to single digits as Iran effectively restricted commercial shipping.

The waterway reopened on June 19 after a memorandum of understanding signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian went into effect, easing a nearly four-month shutdown that sent oil prices soaring and raised concerns about global energy security.

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