Iran says Iraqi ships can pass through Strait of Hormuz once transport becomes smoother | News of US-Israel war over Iran

Tehran praised Iraq’s “fight” against the United States and said the water would not be restricted.

Iran announced that Iraqi ships can now transit freely through the Strait of Hormuz, the latest sign that Tehran has eased pressure on a vital corridor for global energy supplies.

Iraq will be exempt from all restrictions in the strait and controls will only apply to “enemy countries,” Iran’s central headquarters in Khatam al-Anbiya said in a statement on Saturday.

“We deeply respect Iraq’s national sovereignty,” the military command said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

“You are a country that bears the scars of American occupation, and your struggle against the United States deserves praise and respect.”

Iran’s announcement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Tehran to negotiate or give up control of the waterway, warning in a social media post that “otherwise all hell will break out in 48 hours.”

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command rejected Trump’s threat, calling it a “lethargic, destabilizing, disproportionate and foolish act.”

Iran has effectively blocked the strait, which transports about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, since the United States and Israel began their war on February 28.

Maritime traffic has increased in recent weeks under a de facto toll booth system implemented by Tehran, but ship tracking data still shows it is more than 90% below normal levels.

There were 53 transits through the Channel last week, up from 36 the previous week and the highest number since the war began, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

On Friday, a French container ship and a Japanese-owned oil tanker crossed the strait in the first apparent connection between the two countries since the start of the conflict.

Ship collapses in waterways have hit global energy markets hard, driven up fuel prices and prompted authorities in many countries to take urgent energy conservation measures.

The international benchmark, Brent crude, has topped $109 a barrel in recent days, and many analysts predict prices will rise even further if the waterway is not blocked soon.

Iraq’s oil production, which provides most of Baghdad’s revenue, has been particularly hard hit by the war.

Iraq’s oil ministry announced last month that production had fallen from 4.3 million barrels per day to 1.2 million barrels per day, amid a decline in crude oil shortage capacity as exports through the strait were virtually halted.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, Iraq was the world’s sixth-largest oil producer in 2023, accounting for 4% of global supply.