Iraq’s National Security Adviser Qassim Al-Araji on Friday rejected reports claiming that Baghdad pays transit fees to Iran for oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz, calling the allegations “false and baseless.”
Araji said Iran had previously stated that Iraq is exempt from regulations governing passage through the strategic waterway.
His comments followed reports cited by Al-Arabiya alleging that US forces had stopped several vessels carrying Iraqi oil in the Strait of Hormuz over accusations that Baghdad was paying transit fees to Tehran.
Separately, a source told Shafaq News that a Chinese oil tanker loaded with around two million barrels of crude at Basra ports on behalf of Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) has completed loading and is expected to depart after final technical and operational procedures are finished.
