Iraqi President Nizar Amidi on Saturday said during the eighth Baghdad Dialogue conference that Iran had granted permission for several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, after repeated requests from Baghdad. He pointed to “a problem with transporting oil due to the absence of a national carrier,” noting that “some vessels carrying Iraqi oil are being facilitated through the Strait of Hormuz, which has an impact on the entire world, not just Iraq,” reported Iraqi National News.
Iraqi parliament speaker Haibat al-Halbousi hosted his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Baghdad on Aug. 19, after which al-Halbousi said they discussed opening the Strait of Hormuz to tankers carrying Iraqi crude oil. Ghalibaf said that he will discuss the issue of allowing Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz with Iran’s top leaders, al-Halbousi said, reported TASS.
Iraq is also reported to be working to expand oil exports through Türkiye’s Ceyhan port and develop export routes via Syria’s Baniyas and Jordan’s Aqaba ports, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on Friday, reported Turkey’s Anadolu Agency. Zaidi, speaking at the Baghdad Dialogue conference on Friday, said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz poses a “major challenge” for Iraq, and that the government is taking measures to maintain economic stability. Zaidi said Baghdad is also working to increase Iraq’s export quota through OPEC, and aims to raise oil exports to between 8 million and 10 million barrels per day within six years.