New details emerge about Iraq’s intervention to secure the passage of an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.
New details emerge about Iraq’s intervention to secure the passage of an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.
2026-05-21
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Reuters revealed on Thursday that the Iraqi government intervened directly to secure the passage of the oil tanker “Agios Phanourios 1” loaded with Iraqi crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, amid Iran’s tightening of its security and monitoring measures on ships passing through the strait.
According to the report, the tanker, which was headed to Vietnam, had been stuck near the coast of Dubai since late April, before receiving approval to cross on May 10 after direct contact with the Iranian side. Reuters reported that the Iraqi authorities, in coordination with the oil marketing company SOMO, sent Tehran a list of the ship’s crew and details of the shipment to facilitate its passage.
The report indicated that the oil tanker was temporarily detained at the beginning of its journey near Hormuz Island by boats belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on suspicion of a smuggled shipment, before being allowed to continue its journey after hours of inspection and search.
The agency explained that Iran is currently implementing a multi-stage system for ships to pass through the strait, which includes intensive security checks supervised by the Revolutionary Guard forces, in addition to special arrangements with some governments, in conjunction with increasing disruptions that have affected global shipping traffic through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies pass.
Reuters also indicated that ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined sharply since the outbreak of the latest crisis in the region, with the number of ships passing through daily dropping from about 120 to 140 ships before the events, to only about 60 ships between April 18 and May 6.
shafaq.com
