Iran has authorized a limited number of Iraqi oil tankers to navigate the Strait of Hormuz following formal requests from the Iraqi government, according to a report by Iran’s state news agency IRNA on Saturday. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supplies, has been under an effective closure by Iran, leading to significantly reduced traffic and ongoing attacks on vessels. The IRNA report noted that securing these permissions was a primary objective for Baghdad during a recent diplomatic visit by Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
The announcement follows a period of significant economic disruption for Iraq, which has been among the nations most affected by the restricted access to the strait. Prior to the current conflict involving Iran, Iraq produced approximately 4 million barrels of oil per day. Iraqi President Nizar Amedi confirmed on Saturday that Iranian authorities had begun facilitating the movement of ships carrying Iraqi crude in recent days, though he described the overall situation regarding exports through the waterway as remaining complicated.
In response to the limitations at Hormuz, Iraqi officials are seeking alternative routes to bring their petroleum products to international markets. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated on Friday that the government is working to expand export capacities through Turkey’s Ceyhan port. Additionally, Iraq is exploring the possibility of launching exports through the port of Baniyas in Syria and the port of Aqaba in Jordan to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.
For the international energy market, any resumption of Iraqi oil flow through the strait could influence global supply levels and pricing. However, because traffic remains well below pre-war levels and the threat of attacks persists, the concrete day-to-day change for shipping companies will be a reliance on case-by-case Iranian permissions rather than a return to free navigation. Iraqi citizens may eventually notice the impact in the stability of government-funded benefits or infrastructure projects if these export volumes successfully translate into consistent state revenue.
The move sets a precedent for Iran using selective transit permissions as a tool of bilateral diplomacy during the ongoing regional conflict. It also accelerates Iraq’s shift toward regional neighbors like Turkey, Jordan, and Syria to build redundant export infrastructure. What happens next depends on the success of the Baghdad Dialogue policy conference and the progress of technical arrangements at the ports of Ceyhan, Baniyas, and Aqaba. No specific deadlines for full restoration of traffic were reported.