# Singapore Foreign Minister Says Asia Must Share Hormuz Burden By Riza Dagoc Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/27170 Published: 2026-10-07T02:07:51.000Z Updated: 2026-10-07T02:07:51.000Z Section: Regulation > Vivian Balakrishnan said freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway is an existential issue for Singapore and warned tensions may persist. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Asian economies must help protect the Strait of Hormuz, while warning that Iran’s potential control over vessel traffic raises a broader international-law issue. Balakrishnan said President Donald Trump “isn’t completely wrong” to argue that countries such as China, Japan and South Korea should shoulder more responsibility for keeping the waterway open. Asian economies are among the largest customers for energy shipped through the narrow route between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. But Balakrishnan said the dispute cannot be reduced to which countries buy oil. For Singapore, freedom of navigation through international waterways is “non-negotiable,” based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and rights covering transit passage. “This, for us, is an existential question, and it’s a matter of principle, matter of international law,” Balakrishnan said. He said Iran’s efforts to gain greater control over traffic through Hormuz could give Tehran the ability to determine which vessels are allowed to pass. Balakrishnan described that potential “veto right” as a source of leverage that could be more valuable to Iran than toll revenue. Balakrishnan said he did not expect the United States or Gulf states to accept such control. He also warned that tensions could continue even if oil keeps moving through the strait. “I think there will be a lot of pushing and shoving the next few months,” Balakrishnan said. He added that he did not see “a quick diplomatic off-ramp” from the conflict. The Strait of Hormuz remains a focus of energy-market and geopolitical risk. [Earlier TokenPost coverage has examined the waterway’s disruption and potential effects on crypto-market risk](). Balakrishnan also warned in April that a U.S.-China conflict in the Pacific could make the disruption around Hormuz look like a “dry run.” The comparison underscored Singapore’s concern about the vulnerability of global trade to maritime chokepoints. ## Links in this article - [Earlier TokenPost coverage has examined the waterway’s disruption and potential effects on crypto-market risk](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/investing/23257)