Baghdad: Newspapers published in Baghdad on Thursday highlighted a call by Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, urging an end to the war on Iran, while also focusing on the potential repercussions of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Sistani called on the international community and Islamic countries to exert maximum efforts to halt the ongoing war on Iranian territory, warning of its serious consequences for regional and global security and stability. He also stressed the importance of pursuing peaceful solutions in accordance with international law.

The newspaper cited a statement from Al-Sistani’s office stating that the continuing military aggression on Iranian territory over the past several days has resulted in a large number of casualties among citizens, including defenders of their country as well as children and innocent civilians, in addition to widespread damage to both public and private property.

The statement added that the expansion of retaliatory military operations to include other countries has caused damage to various areas and facilities, creating scenes the region has not witnessed for many years.

It further warned that a unilateral decision to launch a comprehensive war against a United Nations member state outside the framework of the UN Security Council, with the aim of imposing specific conditions or topping its political system, constitutes a dangerous precedent that violates international charters.

The statement concluded by warning that continuing along this path could lead to widespread chaos and prolonged instability, causing severe harm to the peoples of the region and threatening global interests.

The newspaper Al-Sabah, published by the Iraqi Media Network, focused in its Thursday edition on the economic repercussions of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its potential impact on Iraq’s oil exports and overall economy.

Member of Parliament Zahraa Luqman Al-Saadi told the newspaper that Iraq is facing significant economic challenges as a result of the effective closure of the strategic waterway, noting that the country relies on the route to export approximately 94% of its crude oil. She added that the government has moved urgently to activate available alternatives and prepare emergency plans.

Al-Saadi explained that one of the immediate options under discussion is the reactivation of the northern export route through Turkey, particularly the Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline. However, she noted that the current export capacity of the pipeline is limited to around 210,000 barrels per day, which would only compensate for a small fraction of the millions of barrels exported daily from southern oil fields.

Oil expert Mustafa Al-Barzakan told the newspaper that the closure of the strait to tankers carrying oil and liquefied natural gas has forced the suspension of production at Rumaila Oil Field, which is one of Iraq’s largest oil fields, after storage capacity reached its maximum levels, despite only a few days having passed since the start of military operations that led to the shutdown of the strait.

Al-Barzakan added that Iraq is among the countries most severely affected by the closure because it lacks sufficient alternative export routes, unlike Gulf oil producers such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, which possess alternative export outlets. He warned that the situation could place significant pressure on Iraq’s oil revenues and may lead to serious financial challenges if maritime traffic through the strait remains disrupted.

Energy expert Adel Al-Sharifi told the newspaper that Iraq should have taken four strategic steps before the situation in the strait deteriorated.

According to Al-Sharifi, the first step is to increase the export capacity of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline and link it with the strategic pipeline transporting southern crude to the north and onward to Turkey. The second step involves rehabilitating or rebuilding the Iraqi-Syrian pipeline.

The third step is the construction of the Basra-Aqaba pipeline project, extending about 1,660 kilometers with a capacity of one million barrels per day. The fourth step involves establishing strategic oil storage facilities in countries located far from conflict zones, using large onshore tank farms that could be utilized in emergency situations, in addition to the option of floating storage.

In the same context, the newspaper Al-Zawraa, published by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, addressed the potential economic implications of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the Iraqi government’s perspective on managing the situation.

The paper quoted the Prime Minister’s financial and economic advisor, Mudher Mohammed Saleh, as saying that Iraq possesses a basic level of coordination flexibility across three key policy areas-monetary, fiscal and oil policies-which could provide an important resilience framework should regional tensions escalate and disrupt export flows through the strait.

Saleh noted that transporting oil containers by land, although it represents only about 10 to 15% of the average oil exports that normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, could serve as a complementary option to secure part of Iraq’s export flows under exceptional circumstances.

He added that rising global oil prices amid escalating conflict could provide Iraq with what is known as the ‘opportunity cost advantage,’ enabling the country to maximize added value even if export volumes decline and transportation costs increase, or if some major oil fields are forced to halt operations.

Saleh further explained that flexible management of export volumes, alongside careful monitoring of global oil price movements, could help Iraq secure the best possible returns for the state’s public budget.