Baghdad: The Ministry of Oil revealed details on Tuesday regarding the movement of Iraqi crude oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and the responsibilities for transporting the shipments. The ministry indicated that tankers loaded with Iraqi crude oil have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and confirmed that it is monitoring the tankers' movements through international systems until the shipments reach the refineries. Oil Ministry spokesman Salim al-Rikabi stated, according to the official news agency, that "the ministry continues to sell crude oil according to the 'port-off-the-shelf' mechanism," noting that "after leaving the port, the tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and the ministry bears no responsibility for their routes or obtaining the necessary approvals."

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Rikabi explained that "it is true that oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz after loading their cargoes, but the ministry bears no responsibility for their routes or obtaining the necessary approvals." He clarified that "the Ministry of Oil sells the crude oil at the port, and afterwards, the buyer assumes responsibility for transporting and disposing of the shipment."

He added that "the ministry is not the owner of these tankers and has no connection to their movement after leaving the port," indicating that "some tankers carry large shipments that can reach up to two million barrels of crude oil." He noted that "the ministry is monitoring tanker movements through global tracking systems," adding that "the State Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) is monitoring the arrival of shipments at refineries."

Regarding exports, Al-Rikabi explained that "oil sales performance has gradually improved in recent months," indicating that "last month was better than the one before it, and the month before that was better than the month before that, reflecting a continuous improvement compared to the period following the export crisis through the Strait of Hormuz."