The Philippines has said that Iran has granted its ships safe and toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which is expected to ease the energy crunch in the South-East Asian nation.
The vessels will be able to pass "safe, unhindered and expeditious", Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro said in a statement, after a meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Iran will also not impose any fees on Philippine-flagged ships, Manila said.
"Given that the Philippines imports the majority of its energy requirements from the Middle East, these assurances from Iran will greatly facilitate the steady delivery of critical oil and fertiliser supplies to the Philippines," Ms Lazaro said.
In addition, it will also allow the safe return of seafaring Filipinos, who are among the biggest demographic in maritime labour. More than 20,000 seafarers are stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, the vital chokepoint in which a fifth of the world's oil shipments flows through.
Iran has threatened to attack vessels that it considers hostile to its regime, particularly those linked to the US and Israel.
That has severely disrupted the flow of petroleum shipments, hitting net energy importers the most, particularly those in Asia. The Philippines – a treaty ally of the US – was the first country to declare a state of emergency due to the crisis.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin warned last week that the nation had, at the time, about 45 days of fuel supplies left. The country was later able to strike a deal with Russia to import crude.
With Iran's approval, the Philippines joins a list that includes Bangladesh, China, Japan, India, Iraq, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand and Russia as countries that Tehran has designated as "friendly".
