Iraq and Pakistan have reportedly reached secret agreements with Iran\nto ship crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Persian\nGulf. This move provides tangible evidence of Tehran\u2019s ability to\ncontrol global energy flows amid the tight US blockade and ongoing\nconflict with Israel in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Citing Reuters, the war between the US-Israel and Iran has slashed\nenergy exports from the region, which normally supplies 20% of the\nworld\u2019s crude oil and LNG needs. Although Iran initially sought to halt\nall traffic through the strait, Tehran\u2019s position has now shifted to\nfull control of access, as stated by Claudio Steuer, an analyst from the\nOxford Institute for Energy Studies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIran has shifted from blocking Hormuz to controlling access to it.\nHormuz is no longer a neutral transit route, but a controlled corridor,\u201d\nSteuer said.<\/p>\n
Iraq is one of the producers most affected by the strait closure, as\nnearly all of its crude oil exports depend on that route. Meanwhile,\nPakistan, which has attempted to act as a mediator in the conflict, is\nalso facing crippling fuel cost spikes due to its heavy reliance on\nenergy imports from the Gulf.<\/p>\n
In an unreported agreement between Baghdad and Tehran, Iraq secured a\nsafe passage for two giant oil tankers (VLCCs), each carrying around 2\nmillion barrels of crude oil on Sunday (10\/5\/2026).<\/p>\n
Currently, the Iraqi government is seeking Iran\u2019s approval for\nsubsequent shipments to salvage state revenues, 95% of which come from\noil.<\/p>\n
\u201cIraq is a close ally of Iran, and any economic downturn in Iraq\nwould also damage Iran\u2019s economic interests in the country,\u201d said an\nIraqi oil ministry official familiar with the details of the\nagreement.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Pakistan has also begun receiving energy supplies through\nthe same route. Two tankers loaded with LNG from Qatar are reportedly en\nroute to Pakistan following a separate bilateral agreement between\nIslamabad and Tehran to meet the country\u2019s extremely high summer\nelectricity demand.<\/p>\n
According to industry sources, Qatar is not directly involved in the\nbilateral agreement, but Doha had previously informed the United States\nof the shipment plans. Interestingly, sources also stated that neither\nIraq nor Pakistan made direct payments to Iran or the Islamic\nRevolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for this passage permission.<\/p>\n
The success of Iraq and Pakistan has sparked interest from other\ncountries, particularly in Asia\u2019s economies, to explore similar deals to\navoid supply disruptions. However, Saul Kavonic, head of research at\nconsultant MST Marquee, warned that this phenomenon could provide\nlong-term legitimacy to Iran\u2019s control over the international\nwaters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more governments are willing to make deals with Iran for\nshipping access, the risk is that it normalises the idea that Iran will\ncontrol the Strait of Hormuz permanently,\u201d Kavonic said.<\/p>\n
Shipping data shows that traffic in Hormuz is currently only 5% of\nthe normal pre-war volume, which reached 3,000 ships per month. This\nsituation has triggered a surge in Brent crude oil prices by more than\n50% since late February, while LNG prices in Europe and Asia have jumped\nbetween 35% and 50%.<\/p>\n
Iran has firmly stated its desire to retain control over the strait\neven after the war ends, demanding compensation and the lifting of\nsanctions. However, on the ground, Tehran is already formalising its\ncontrol by requiring Iraq to submit complete documentation for every\ntanker passing under their naval supervision.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe IRGC sometimes changes the rules midway, making it difficult to\nkeep everything on track, but we continue to pursue it,\u201d said a\nPakistani source regarding the negotiation process, which occasionally\nfaces hurdles.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/with-irans-blessing-two-muslim-countries-successfully-bypass-the-hormuz-blockade-1778666257", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }