Iran Grants Passage to Iraqi Oil Tankers Through Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian government has granted permission to Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz after repeated requests from Baghdad. The move comes despite tensions between Iran and the US, which claims control over the waterway.

Tehran asserts control over the strait since the outbreak of the war in February 28. Vessels require permission and pay transit fees to use the waterway. The US President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington has 'total control' over the strait, through which one-fifth of the world's oil and LNG exports passed before the war.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had requested passage for Iraqi oil tankers during his trip to Iraq. Iran has granted permission to a number of Iraqi oil tankers over the past six months, according to state media. The report said that there is no alternative for Iraq other than the Strait of Hormuz to export the bulk of its crude oil.

Tehran says even if new talks with Oman produce a new route through the strait, it would not open the waterway unless the US meets Iran's broader demands. Iran and Oman have been in talks to establish a new route through the strait, which controls the entrance to the Gulf and separates their two countries.