Iran Grants Passage to Iraqi Oil Tankers Through Strait of Hormuz

Iran granted permission for several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after repeated requests from Baghdad. The decision followed a visit by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to Iraq, where securing passage for Iraqi oil exports was a key issue.

The authorization came just days after Ghalibaf's visit, and it marks a significant development in the complex situation surrounding the strait. According to Al Jazeera, Iraqi President Nizar Amedi said that Iran had facilitated the passage of vessels carrying Iraqi oil through the Strait in recent days.

However, the issue remains complicated for Iraq, with shipping traffic still significantly below pre-war levels and ships continuing to face attacks in the area. Reuters reported that before the outbreak of the Iran war, Iraq produced around 4 million barrels of oil per day, and Baghdad is working to expand exports through Turkey's Ceyhan port and begin exporting through Syria's Baniyas port and Jordan's Aqaba port.

Mostafa Khoshcheshm, a professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Tehran, attributed Iran's decision to let Iraqi oil tankers pass through the Strait to Baghdad's stance against the United States. The BBC framed the decision as 'First fruits of Qalibaf's visit to Iraq,' noting that IRNA said Tehran granted a 'special permit' for a number of Iraqi tankers to pass through the strait.