Iraqi President Nizar Amidi on Saturday said Iran had granted permission for several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, after repeated requests from Baghdad as the waterway remained disrupted by the regional conflict.
He spoke during the eighth Baghdad Dialogue conference, saying Iraq was among the countries most exposed to the impact of the conflict because of its dependence on oil exports and economic links with Iran.
“There is facilitation for some tankers carrying Iraqi oil in the Strait of Hormuz,” Mr Amidi said, without providing further details.
Iran's state news agency, IRNA, reported separately that Tehran had given permission for several Iraqi oil tankers to cross the waterway after repeated requests from Baghdad through various channels.
The special permission was one of Baghdad's main requests during Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf's recent visit to Iraq, IRNA said.
Iraq has faced difficulties transporting its oil because it does not have its own tankers, Mr Amidi said.
“We have a problem transporting oil due to the absence of a national tanker,” he said, adding that developments in the Strait of Hormuz had consequences for the entire world, not only Iraq.
Iraq seeks to avoid conflict
Mr Amidi added that Iraq would seek to stay out of the war between Iran and the US, warning that Baghdad would be among the countries hardest-hit if the conflict escalated.
“We will be among the countries most affected after Iran if the escalation continues, given the economic interdependence and our complete reliance on oil,” he said.
On internal security, Mr Amidi said Baghdad would not allow Iraqi territory to be used to launch attacks against other countries. He said attacks from inside Iraq against countries in the region “have no justification”, as Baghdad seeks to prevent the country from being drawn further into the conflict.
Mr Amidi repeated Baghdad's vow to bring all weapons under state control, saying armed groups must ultimately hand over their weapons through an Iraqi-led process.
The government has set September 30 as a deadline for bringing weapons under state authority, although some Iran-backed factions continue to resist the move.
