Iran allows Iraqi oil tankers to pass through Strait of Hormuz amid regional tensions

Iran has granted selective permission for Iraqi oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz following diplomatic requests from Baghdad, including during Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf's visit. While Iraqi President Nizar Amedi confirmed recent facilitated passages, he noted the export situation remains complicated. Iraq, heavily impacted by the strait's effective closure, is actively seeking alternative export routes through Turkey, Syria, and Jordan as regional maritime attacks persist.

Iraqi tanker Hormuz passage

• ▪Iraqi President Nizar Amedi stated on August 22, 2026, that Iran had facilitated the passage of vessels carrying Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days.
• ▪Iran granted permission for a number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following repeated requests from Baghdad, as reported by Iranian state news agency IRNA on August 22, 2026.
• ▪Iraqi President Nizar Amedi stated at the Baghdad Dialogue policy conference on August 22, 2026, that the export of Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz remained complicated.

Iran-Iraq diplomatic negotiations

• ▪Iraqi Prime Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Baghdad, Iraq, on August 19, 2026.
• ▪Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that obtaining special permission for Iraqi tankers was a main request during Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf's August 2026 visit to Iraq.

Strait of Hormuz closure

• ▪Iraq has been among the countries most affected by Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with maritime traffic in the strait remaining significantly below pre-war levels.
• ▪Iraq produced approximately 4 million barrels of oil per day before the outbreak of the war involving Iran.

Iraqi oil export diversification

• ▪Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated on August 21, 2026, that Baghdad is working to begin exporting oil through Syria's Baniyas port and Jordan's Aqaba port.
• ▪Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated on August 21, 2026, that Baghdad is working to expand oil exports through Turkey's Ceyhan port.

Maritime security attacks

• ▪Ships continue to face attacks in the Strait of Hormuz area amid ongoing regional disruptions and the broader confrontation between Iran and the United States.
• ▪The selective transit permission granted by Iran indicates a controlled approach to maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz rather than a full reopening of the waterway.

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