TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's top diplomat cautioned legislators on Thursday (June 19) that any disruption to shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz could trigger worldwide economic repercussions as Middle East tensions approach a dangerous tipping point. Foreign Affairs Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), speaking during a regularly scheduled session at the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament), warned that an Iranian blockade of the vital maritime chokepoint would dramatically affect global energy markets and potentially drive up oil prices across Asia, where many economies, including Taiwan's, rely heavily on Middle Eastern petroleum imports. The gravity of the situation prompted Taiwan's national security apparatus to convene an emergency high-level meeting on Wednesday to assess potential economic and security implications for the island democracy.
During his parliamentary briefing, Minister Lin detailed Taiwan's multi-faceted monitoring of the volatile geopolitical landscape, emphasizing that officials are tracking both the deteriorating Middle East situation and broader strategic developments, including the positioning of American naval assets in the region and ongoing Chinese military and diplomatic activities throughout the Pacific. The foreign minister sought to reassure legislators about the safety of Taiwanese citizens abroad, noting that while the United States Embassy in Israel has begun preliminary evacuation preparations for American nationals, Taiwan's representative office in Tel Aviv continues normal operations and maintains constant communication with the approximately 270 Taiwanese citizens presently in Israel, many of whom are business travelers, students, and religious pilgrims.
The minister provided a more detailed assessment of Taiwan's smaller expatriate community in Iran, where only six citizens currently remain amid the escalating regional tensions. Several Taiwanese students studying in Iranian universities have already departed the country in recent days, Lin explained, through an unusual diplomatic channel that highlights Taiwan's complex international status. These evacuations were coordinated with help from the Iranian government through an informal arrangement facilitated by Chinese classmates of the Taiwanese students, reflecting the reality that Taiwan lacks formal diplomatic relations with Iran while China maintains an official embassy there. Despite these complications, Lin assured lawmakers that all evacuated students have maintained regular contact with Taiwan's unofficial representative office that handles the island's interests in the region. ◼
