As tensions over maritime security in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea continue, Iraqi officials said negotiations with the Iranian regime to ensure the safe passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz are still underway. However, Baghdad says Tehran has not fulfilled its previous commitments.
Bassem Mohammed Khudair, Iraq’s oil minister, told the Iraqi state-run news agency that Baghdad hopes to reach agreements with the Iranian regime in the coming days that will guarantee the security and smooth passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
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According to him, the negotiations have continued alongside the recent visits of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi as part of political and economic consultations between the two sides.
The remarks came one day after Haider al-Aboudi, spokesperson for the Iraqi government, said Baghdad had previously received assurances from Iranian regime president Masoud Pezeshkian that Iraqi oil tankers would be exempt from the restrictions imposed in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, al-Aboudi stressed that the promise has not yet been implemented, adding that Tehran continues to view the Strait of Hormuz as one of its most important sources of leverage in the current crisis.
Meanwhile, Turkey also backed Saudi Arabia’s initiative to establish a multinational maritime defense coalition aimed at protecting international shipping routes and ensuring the security of global trade.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, strongly condemned the attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and reaffirmed Ankara’s full support for Riyadh’s efforts to ensure maritime security.
The two leaders also discussed the latest regional developments, bilateral relations, and ways to expand political and security cooperation.
Saudi Arabia proposed the formation of a multinational maritime defense coalition following the escalation of attacks by the Iranian regime-backed Houthi militia against commercial ships and oil tankers. Saudi officials describe the initiative as an international effort to protect freedom of navigation, energy security, and the continuity of global trade.
