Iran Allows Iraqi Oil Tankers to Transit Strait of Hormuz

Iraqi President Nizar Amidi says his country’s territory will not be used to launch attacks against any other state.

Published On 22 Aug 202622 Aug 2026

Iran has granted permission for several Iraqi oil tankers to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, following repeated requests from Baghdad conveyed through multiple channels, as reported by Iranian state media.

The IRNA news agency reported on Saturday that securing special transit permission for Iraqi tankers was a key request during Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s recent visit to Iraq.

Iraqi President Nizar Amidi announced on Saturday that Iran had enabled the passage of several oil‑laden vessels through the Strait in recent days, and that Baghdad has engaged in discussions with Tehran regarding oil exports via Hormuz.

Speaking at the Baghdad Dialogue policy conference, Amidi emphasized that Iraq will not tolerate its territory being used to launch attacks on other nations, stating that such actions lack justification.

He added that preventing Iraq from being entangled in the region’s ongoing conflict is a shared priority, noting that the war’s fallout has been severe for Iraq.

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Amidi noted that its significance extends globally, not just to Iraq, and confirmed that Baghdad continues negotiations with Tehran on the complex issues surrounding the waterway.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Mostafa Khoshcheshm, a professor at Tehran’s University of Applied Sciences, explained that Iran’s decision to allow Iraqi tankers to pass stems from Baghdad’s consistent opposition to U.S. policies.

Khoshcheshm suggested that Iran aims to penalize Gulf states that have permitted U.S. forces to use their bases for attacks on Iran—claims the Gulf states deny—while maintaining Iraq as a friendly partner.

The analyst added that Iran has urged other nations to take similar steps to curb U.S. use of their territories.

Iraq has been one of the countries most impacted by Iran’s de‑facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic remains markedly below pre‑war volumes and vessels continue to encounter attacks.

Prior to the eruption of the U.S.–Israel conflict involving Iran, Iraq was producing roughly four million barrels of oil daily. Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi announced on Friday that Baghdad is pursuing expanded export routes, including through Turkey’s Ceyhan port, as well as planned shipments via Syria’s Baniyas port and Jordan’s Aqaba port.

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