SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong cautioned world leaders on Friday that permitting any nation to illegally seize control of an international waterway like the Strait of Hormuz risks a perilous precedent, potentially endangering other vital chokepoints such as the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
Speaking via video link at a high-level meeting in Paris hosted by France and Britain, PM Wong emphasized Singapore’s vulnerability as a hub along the world’s busiest shipping lanes. “The world cannot afford to go down this path,” he said, warning of a future dominated by coercion rather than rules. He underscored the right of transit passage under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), urging global unity to keep sea lanes open and secure.
The gathering, attended in person by French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, along with 30 other leaders online, aimed to rally diplomatic backing for unrestricted navigation through the Hormuz Strait. Discussions covered economic strains on shipping, the plight of over 20,000 stranded seafarers and trapped vessels, and plans for a defensive multinational mission post-conflict, focused on mine clearance and barring passage tolls.
PM Wong highlighted the fragility of the April 8 ceasefire between the US and Iran, brokered by Pakistan and due to expire on April 22, amid talks of further negotiations. Iran blockaded the strait since late February clashes erupted, prompting a US naval response on April 13 that halted ships bound for Iranian ports. Tehran claimed the waterway fully open during a separate Israel-Lebanon truce, but US President Donald Trump vowed to maintain the blockade until a deal materializes.
“The restoration of safe passage must align with war-ending efforts,” PM Wong stated, echoing calls for no arbitrary controls. Singapore, a co-sponsor of UN Security Council Resolution 2817 condemning Iranian attacks and affirming maritime freedoms, joined Fiji, Jamaica, and Malta in a UN General Assembly plea on April 16 for unimpeded trade routes.
In a post-meeting Facebook update, PM Wong noted universal agreement on upholding international law, even from landlocked nations. He affirmed Singapore’s readiness to collaborate with partners like Australia, New Zealand, and Brunei to bolster supply chains, rejecting trade barriers on energy and essentials. “As a trading hub and oil refining center, Singapore stands unequivocally for free and open trade,” he concluded.