Countries dependent on energy from the Gulf are seeing themselves forced to work with Iran if they want to resume transportation, according to Mr. Roc Shi, University of Technology Sydney.
The Philippines is the latest country to reach an agreement with Iran. Iranian officials pledged to ensure "safe, unobstructed and fast passage" for Philippine-flagged ships on this route, according to Philippine Foreign Minister Theresa Lazaro. She added that the agreement reached after "a very effective phone call" with Tehran on April 2 was "extremely important" to ensure energy and fertilizer supplies.
The Philippines imports up to 98% of oil from the Middle East and is the first country to declare an energy emergency after domestic gasoline prices more than doubled since the Iran conflict broke out.
Previously, Tehran declared the strait open to all countries, except the US and its allies. The Philippines - often seen as a US ally - is a noteworthy case, showing Iran's willingness to separate the factors.
“Iran seems to be distinguishing between the alliance relationship of a country and whether that country directly participates in the conflict or not,” said Roger Fouquet from the Institute of Energy Research, National University of Singapore.
Other countries have also negotiated with Iran. On March 28, Pakistan announced that Iran agreed to allow 20 of its ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran also publicly welcomed Indian flag ships passing through the strait. In early March, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar shared that the passage of Iranian oil tankers through the Ormuz Strait was the result of diplomacy.
China, Iran's largest oil buyer, also confirmed last week that several ships had passed through the strait, although it did not specify details.
It is not yet clear what conditions some ships must meet to pass through the Strait of Hormuz safely, as well as whether those ships have to pay a fee or not.
Last weekend, a Japanese liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Mitsui OSK Lines. However, the company did not comment on whether to pay tolls or not and did not disclose how to ensure safe travel.
In March, Malaysia also announced that some of its oil tankers had been allowed by Tehran to pass through the strait. It is unclear whether other Malaysian-flagged ships will enjoy these guarantees.
About 2/3 of Malaysia's oil imports come from the Gulf region.
The impact of these agreements on other countries is still unclear. For example, whether to convert ships' nationalities to countries allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz or not.
Currently, many oil tankers fly flags of countries such as Panama and the Marshall Islands - countries that do not have safety guarantees with Iran regarding passing through Hormuz.
Energy economist Roc Shi from the University of Technology Sydney said that although these agreements are a "diplomatic breakthrough", they are not a radical solution. It is still unclear how long these commitments will last and what the impact of military factors will be.
