Baghdad, Tehran in Talks to Safeguard Oil Tanker Traffic Through Strait of Hormuz, Iraqi Oil Minister Says

Hayyan Abdul Ghani also said that Baghdad was working to restore a pipeline that runs from Iraq to Turkey.

A navy vessel is seen sailing in the Strait of Hormuz on March 1, 2026. Sahar Al Attar/AFP via Getty Images

Iran and Iraq are discussing allowing some Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Baghdad’s oil minister said on March 17.

Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani said that “there is ongoing communication with Iran regarding allowing some Iraqi oil tankers to pass through,” in comments reported by state media outlet the Iraqi News Agency (INA). Iran has so far made no public comment on the talks.

Global Chokepoint

The issue of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a quarter of all oil barrels in the world pass, has sparked global concern.