Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi asked Iranian officials during his visit to Tehran to guarantee the safe passage of tankers chartered to transport Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz, amid ongoing disruptions to shipping in the strategic waterway, according to sources who spoke to MBN.
The sources said Tehran did not provide a clear answer, neither accepting nor rejecting the request. They added that Iran is likely to respond negatively, citing al-Zaidi’s recent visit to Washington and his government’s signing of agreements with U.S. companies.
Al-Zaidi arrived in Tehran on Thursday, where he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The two sides also oversaw the signing of several agreements and memorandums of understanding.
The visit came days after al-Zaidi traveled to the United States from July 13 to 18, during which he met President Donald Trump. The two governments announced a strategic partnership between Baghdad and Washington during what was al-Zaidi’s first foreign trip since taking office in May.
Baghdad’s request regarding the Strait of Hormuz carries particular significance because Iraq relies on oil exports for more than 90 percent of its public revenue, and the majority of those exports pass through the narrow waterway.
Before the outbreak of the war, Iraq exported roughly 90 million barrels of oil per month through the Strait of Hormuz. By April, however, that figure had fallen to about 10 million barrels.
Iran has been carrying out missile, drone, and unmanned boat attacks against commercial vessels attempting to transit the strait outside the designated shipping lanes.
The attacks were expected to cease after Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17. That did not happen, prompting the United States to escalate military operations against Iran to prevent it from disrupting international shipping.
Ship-tracking data showed that only one tanker transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the lowest daily total since May 7, as risks to maritime traffic in the Middle East remain elevated.
According to data from analytics firm Kpler, just one tanker passed through the strait on July 23, down from three the previous day.
The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has had a direct impact on the daily lives of Iraqis.
Iraq’s economy depends almost entirely on oil, with petroleum revenues financing the country’s vast public-sector payroll. A sharp decline in those revenues threatens the sustainability of that model.
Ordinary Iraqis are already feeling the economic strain.
Since the outbreak of the war in late February, the Iraqi dinar has experienced sharp volatility and has depreciated significantly against the U.S. dollar.
The country’s electricity grid is also under mounting pressure during the summer heat. Iraq’s dependence on imports of Iranian natural gas has compounded the crisis, increasing the risk of widespread power outages.
Many Iraqis have once again turned to extended family and tribal support networks that have historically served as a safety net during times of crisis, while the informal economy has continued to expand.
But those coping mechanisms have their limits, and mounting economic pressures are fueling public frustration reminiscent of the protest waves that swept Iraq in recent years.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
