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 confirmed that tankers loaded with Iraqi crude oil have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and that it is monitoring the tankers' movements through international systems until the shipments reach the refineries.

According to Iraqi News Agency, Oil Ministry spokesman Salim al-Rikabi stated that the ministry continues to sell crude oil according to the "port-off" mechanism. He noted 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."

Al-Rikabi explained that "the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz after loading their cargo is correct, 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, "The ministry does not own these tankers and has no connection to their movements after they leave the port," explaining that "some tankers carry large shipments that can reach up to two million barrels of crude oil."

He pointed out that "the ministry monitors the tankers' movements through global tracking systems," noting that "the State Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) monitors 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."