US-Israel-Iran War Live: Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat Al-Halbousi requested “special status” for Iraqi oil exports passing through the Strait of Hormuz during high-level talks with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Baghdad. Iraq is pushing for a permanent, secure maritime arrangement with Iran to shield its crucial oil shipments from a tightening U.S. and Iranian military standoff in the Strait of Hormuz.
The high-stakes request by Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat Al-Halbousi reflects deep anxieties in Baghdad as regional tensions threaten to choke off the state’s primary economic lifeline.
US-Israel-Iran War Live: Iraq Calls Iran for Special Treatment on Strait of Hormuz Shipping
During a meeting at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Speaker Al-Halbousi called for “special consideration” and dedicated status to protect Iraq’s crude oil shipments from maritime disruptions.
Ghalibaf arrived in Iraq for a multi-day official diplomatic mission intended to bolster bilateral relations, evaluate border security, and address regional stability.
The official statement from the Iraqi parliament speaker’s office did not specify the exact logistics requested or whether Tehran had formally agreed to grant a dedicated waiver or shipping corridor.
US-Israel-Iran War Live: Strategic Vulnerability for Iraq
The diplomatic push underscores Baghdad’s severe economic vulnerability to shipping bottlenecks in West Asia. The vast majority of Iraq’s oil exports originate from southern terminals in Basra, making the country highly dependent on safe passage through the narrow Strait of Hormuz to reach global energy markets.
Escalating tensions and shipping restrictions imposed along the route have repeatedly constrained Iraqi crude flows, forcing the country to seek permanent shipping guarantees from both Tehran and Washington.
US-Israel-Iran War Live: Inside the Strategic Standoff
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The “Steel Wall” Blockade: The geopolitical backdrop is highly volatile. The United States has enacted what it terms a “steel wall blockade”, with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) actively intercepting, redirecting, or boarding vessels in the region. Simultaneously, Iran’s military leadership has asserted that no oil tanker can pass safely without Tehran’s direct permission and oversight.
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Baghdad’s Dual Track Diplomacy: Iraq is trapped in the middle and trying to play both sides. While Al-Halbousi petitioned Ghalibaf for a permanent deal, Iraqi officials have simultaneously been in talks with Washington to secure matching transit guarantees.
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The Backchannel Precedent: The push for a formal agreement comes after a highly successful, secretive backchannel deal. Iran quietly granted safe passage to two Iraqi supertankers carrying 4 million barrels of crude through the strait. Crucially, industry sources confirmed that no direct payments were made to Iran or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for this transit.
US-Israel-Iran War Live: Why Iraq is Scrambling
Oil revenues make up roughly 95% of Iraq’s national budget. Because the vast majority of its crude is pumped out of southern oilfields in Basra, a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz would trigger an absolute economic collapse.
To survive the current shipping restrictions, Iraq has been forced into emergency contingency plans:
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The Trucking Alternative: The Oil Ministry is arranging to transport up to 250,000 barrels per day via fleets of tanker trucks cutting across Turkey, Syria, and Jordan.
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Northern Bypass: Baghdad is aggressively working to divert Kirkuk oilfields’ crude through the Kurdistan Region to Turkey’s Ceyhan port to bypass the Gulf entirely.
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Overtime Operations: Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi ordered state oil companies to work 24/7 to boost emergency production limits and secure backup storage capacity.
US-Israel-Iran War Live: Wider Scope of Ghalibaf’s Visit
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s three-day diplomatic sweep through Baghdad isn’t just about oil. He arrived with a high-level financial and political delegation to pressure Iraq on several fronts:
Iranian officials are demanding the immediate removal of banking hurdles to let Tehran access its significant foreign exchange reserves currently frozen in Iraqi banks due to international sanctions.
Upon landing, Ghalibaf immediately staged a high-profile press conference at the airport memorial site where Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by the U.S. in 2020. He explicitly warned Baghdad against allowing “external interference” (referencing the U.S.) to dictate Iraqi-Iranian border security and political relationships.
