Iran reversal on Strait of Hormuz threatens Iraq’s nascent export restart
Iranian forces blocked a tanker carrying Iraqi crude, dampening hopes for a durable resumption of Iraq's southern exports.
The Agios Fanourios I tanker prepares to dock at a single point mooring buoy in the Basra Gulf in April 2026 for the first loading of crude from Iraq's southern export outlets in more than a month. (Photo credit: Ministry of Transportation)
BASRA - An Indian-flagged tanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude was turned around by Iranian forces on Saturday as it attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz — an incident that highlights the extent to which Iraq's southern oil exports remain contingent on volatile wartime dynamics, despite rising hopes for a gradual restart.
Deputy Oil Minister Bassim Mohammed Khudair said in an interview Saturday with Iraq Oil Report that the tanker was turned back because Iran reopened and then re-closed the strait within hours.
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