Many Iraqi oil tankers permitted by Iran to use Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN, Iran: Iran has granted permission to several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after repeated requests from Baghdad, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on August 22. IRNA said special permission for Iraqi tankers was one of Iraq's main requests during Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf's visit to Iraq. Iraqi President Nizar Amedi said on August 22 that Iran had allowed ships carrying Iraqi oil to pass through the Strait in recent days. He added that Iraqi officials had discussed exporting Iraqi oil through the Strait with their Iranian counterparts. However, Amedi said the issue remained complicated. He made the comments at the Baghdad Dialogue policy conference. Iraq has been one of the countries most affected by Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping traffic through the waterway remains far below levels seen before the war, and ships continue to face attacks in the area. Iraq was producing about four million barrels of oil per day before the war with Iran began. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on August 21 that Baghdad was working to increase oil exports through Turkey's Ceyhan port. Iraq also plans to begin exporting oil through Syria's Baniyas port and Jordan's Aqaba port.