It was confirmed that, just a day after Iran said it would make an exception for Iraq despite its plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a tanker carrying Iraqi crude passed through the strait.
On the 5th local time, major foreign outlets including Bloomberg and Reuters reported that the tanker Ocean Thunder, which departed from Basra, Iraq, recently passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is heading to Malaysia. According to data from ship-tracking firm Kpler, the tanker loaded about 1 million Barrel of Iraqi crude at the Basra terminal in Iraq, then exited the strait via a narrow channel between Iran's Larak Island and Qeshm Island. It is currently sailing to Pasir Gudang in southern Malaysia and is expected to arrive in mid-month.
The vessel was reportedly chartered by a subsidiary of Malaysia's state-owned energy company Petronas. According to sources, the Ocean Thunder is one of seven Malaysia-linked ships authorized by Iran to transit the strait.
Earlier, on the 4th, Iran's military referred to Iraq as a "brother country," noting, "Iraq is excluded from any restrictions applied to the Strait of Hormuz. These restrictions apply only to enemy countries."
After the outbreak of the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iraq has been exporting only part of its crude by sending it through pipelines to the port of Ceyhan in Türkiye. Last month's crude exports averaged 99,000 Barrel per day, a 97% plunge from February.