Asia Predicted to be Most Hit by Energy Crisis Due to Iran War, Indonesia is Mentioned

JAKARTA - Asia is said to be the region most vulnerable to the blow of the energy crisis due to the Iran war. The warning comes from global maritime analytics firm Kpler, which assesses that many countries in the region do not have enough energy reserves of their own to cover supply disruptions.

According to a report by The Straits Times quoted on Tuesday, March 31, Kpler President Jean Maynier said Asia was currently the most suffering party. He said the lack of supply would not be easily closed, including in major countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia.

Maynier said the situation was already in the energy crisis category. The impact is beginning to be seen in the Philippines, whose government has declared a national energy emergency. He also warned that this condition could worsen if the conflict continues.

The assessment is inseparable from the conditions in the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for the world's energy shipments that Kpler has continued to monitor since the United States and Israel's attack on Iran on February 28. This route is very sensitive because in normal situations it is the main route for crude oil and liquefied natural gas.

Kpler data shows that ship traffic in the strait has not recovered. Last weekend there were 17 commodity ships passing, including 12 ships on March 28. This figure was one of the busiest days since March 1. However, overall, shipping activity throughout March remained sharply down compared to before the war.

As of March 31, only 196 commodity ship crossings were recorded in the Strait of Hormuz. Of that number, 120 crossings were carried out by oil tankers and gas carriers. Most of them move east out of the strait.

The Straits Times wrote, Kpler assessed that the main problem for Asia was not only the disruption of energy supply routes, but also the weakness of many countries' ability to cover supply shortages from their own sources. That's why the turmoil in the Middle East quickly turned into direct pressure on the Asian energy market.

Maynier said this situation would not improve if the conflict continued. He hopes that political leaders will immediately find a solution, because Asia has already felt the impact through disrupted energy supplies.