Iraq Says It Transported 2 Million Barrels of Crude Through Strait of Hormuz

PUKMEDIA

The Strait of Hormuz.

An Iraqi oil tanker carrying two million barrels of crude has successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, according to an Iraqi energy and oil expert, in a development expected to have a positive impact on Iraq’s oil revenues.

Ali Qais Abdul-Jabbar, Director General of the company, said the move was aimed at providing the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) with “greater flexibility in sales operations and the ability to capitalise on better pricing opportunities.”

He added that the company was also working to acquire specialised crude oil tankers to strengthen its capabilities, expand its fleet and enhance its competitiveness with other maritime transport companies in the region.

The announcement means the company is ⁠transporting the crude through the strait rather than delivering it at the port of Basra, giving state oil marketer SOMO greater flexibility in how and where it sells the crude.

Bahjat Ahmed, an expert in energy and oil and gas contracts, told PUKMEDIA that the tanker carrying Iraqi crude had crossed the Strait of Hormuz and was able to transport its cargo towards Western markets.

“The ship was carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude oil, which is a rare occurrence in recent times,” Ahmed said.

Trade and oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted in February 2026 following the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Iraq was among the countries affected by the disruption, particularly in terms of access to Western markets. 

Iraq has ⁠previously secured Iranian permission for Iraqi oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz, ⁠which Iran has effectively closed during its conflict with the US.



PUKMEDIA