Iran allows some Iraqi tankers to cross Hormuz Strait after Qalibaf’s visit
Iran allows some Iraqi tankers to cross Hormuz Strait after Qalibaf’s visit Zaidi said on Friday that the country plans to raise oil production to between 8 million and 10 million barrels per day. Saturday 22/08/2026 Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf in Baghdad, Iraq, August 19, 2026. TEHRAN Iran has granted permission for a number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following repeated requests from Baghdad through various channels, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday. IRNA said obtaining special permission for Iraqi tankers was one of Baghdad’s main requests during Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf’s visit to Iraq. Iraq’s parliament speaker Haibat al-Halbousi had called for special status for Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz during talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf in Baghdad on Wednesday, his office said in a statement, without providing further details. At the meeting with Qalibaf, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi raised the issue, calling for Iraq to be given “special consideration” regarding oil exports through the strategic waterway. Halbousi said that Iraq remains among the countries most affected by regional developments, stressing the importance of deeper bilateral ties and stepped-up cooperation between Baghdad and Tehran. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met Qalibaf and his accompanying delegation in Baghdad, according to a statement from the Iraqi prime minister’s media office. The meeting focused on “prospects for cooperation and joint work” and ways to strengthen bilateral relations across various fields in a manner that serves the shared interests of the two countries and their peoples, the statement said. Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammed said on August 8 that Iraq is in talks with Iran on an arrangement to allow Iraqi oil exports, but the mechanism has not yet been put in place. Iraq currently produces about 2.7 million barrels per day and exports roughly half of that amount, the minister said during a press conference, adding that export capacity this month is capped at 1.5 million to 1.75 million bpd. Zaidi said on Friday that the country plans to raise oil production to between 8 million and 10 million barrels per day within six years. He said a ministerial committee had been sent to Saudi Arabia to discuss expanding Iraq’s OPEC production quota. Iraq was also working to export oil through Syria’s Baniyas port and Jordan’s Aqaba port, he added.
2026-08-22 09:15:33