Erbil: Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) announced a new understanding with Baghdad to restart oil exports through the region to Trkiye's Ceyhan port.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani made the announcement on the US social media platform X, stating that the region will allow oil to begin flowing again 'as soon as possible,' due to 'the extraordinary circumstances facing the country and the responsibility we all share to get through this difficult chapter.'
Barzani emphasized ongoing discussions with the federal government in Baghdad to 'urgently lift the restrictions on imports and trade' into the Kurdish region. Additionally, he mentioned the need to secure guarantees for oil and gas companies to safely resume production. He expressed gratitude to the US for its role and support in facilitating the agreement process.
Iraq's Oil Minister, Hayan Abdel Ghani, confirmed that crude exports through Trkiye's Ceyhan port would resume on Wednesday at 10 a.m. The Iraqi News Agency reported this development amidst global energy concerns centered around the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed to most vessels by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in response to US-Israeli attacks that began on February 28. The disruption of the strait, previously a passage for around 20 million barrels of oil daily, has led to increased oil prices.
Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Trkiye and special envoy for Syria, expressed his gratitude to both Erbil and Baghdad for reaching the agreement. He acknowledged their 'courage, steadfast cooperation, and commitment to the diplomatic path,' and reiterated the United States' commitment to supporting these efforts during the crisis.
A statement by the KRG noted that Barzani also received a phone call from Barrack, during which they discussed developments in the Kurdish region, Iraq, and the wider region. Barrack conveyed greetings from US President Donald Trump and praised Barzani's willingness to collaborate with Baghdad to resume oil exports via Trkiye.
Barzani assured that talks with Baghdad were ongoing and instructed the KRG's negotiating team to facilitate the restart of exports to serve citizens' interests. He called on the US to continue its monitoring and support role in ongoing negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad, particularly regarding customs and trade restrictions.
On Sunday, Iraq's Oil Ministry stated its readiness to resume crude exports through the northern pipeline towards Ceyhan, in light of disruptions to southern export routes linked to the regional crisis and navigation issues in the Strait of Hormuz. The ministry had previously noted that the Kurdish Regional Government's Ministry of Natural Resources had refused to restart the export pipeline, presenting conditions that Baghdad deemed 'unrelated to crude oil export operations.'