Iran Grants Permission for Some Iraqi Oil Tankers to Pass Through Strait of Hormuz

Iran has granted permission for a number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after Baghdad made repeated requests through various channels, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.

IRNA said obtaining special permission for Iraqi tankers was one of Baghdad’s main requests during Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf’s visit to Iraq.

Iraqi President Nizar Amedi said on Saturday that Iran had facilitated the passage of vessels carrying Iraqi oil through the Strait in recent days. He added that Baghdad had also discussed the export of Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian officials.

However, Amedi said the situation remained complicated. Shipping traffic through the Strait remains significantly below pre-war levels, while vessels continue to face attacks in the area.

Iraq has been among the countries most affected by Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Before the outbreak of the Iran war, Iraq produced around 4 million barrels of oil per day, making secure export routes crucial to its economy.

Baghdad is now working to expand its oil exports through alternative routes. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on Friday that Iraq was seeking to increase exports through Turkey’s Ceyhan port, while also planning to begin exporting oil through Syria’s Baniyas port and Jordan’s Aqaba port.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. Continued disruption there has therefore created significant risks for Iraq’s oil exports as well as global energy supplies and oil markets.