Iraq seeks special status for oil exports through Strait of Hormuz

Iraq’s speaker of parliament has called for special status for the country’s oil exports passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Haibat al-Halbousi raised the request during talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in Baghdad on Wednesday, according to a statement from his office. The statement did not explain what arrangements Baghdad wanted or whether Tehran had agreed to consider the proposal. The request highlights Iraq’s concern over the security of its energy exports as regional tensions increasingly threaten shipping through the critical waterway. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea and provides the main route for oil tankers leaving Iraq’s southern export terminals.