Iran Speaker Conditions Strait of Hormuz Access During Iraq Visit

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf led a high-ranking delegation to Iraq from August 18 to 21, 2026, to strengthen strategic cooperation, border security, and counterterrorism efforts. During meetings in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and President Abdul Latif Rashid, Qalibaf praised Iran-backed militias as a key component of Iraq's national power and attributed regional instability to United States interference and historic British colonial strategies.

In talks with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, Qalibaf conditioned the opening of the Strait of Hormuz on the United States meeting Iranian demands, including the lifting of oil sanctions, the removal of a naval blockade, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets. Al-Halbousi requested special consideration for Iraqi oil exports through the waterway to protect national economic interests, while also expressing opposition to Israeli attacks against Iran.

Beyond security and maritime disputes, the two nations prioritized economic projects, specifically the dredging of the Arvand Rud waterway and the completion of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway. The visit concluded with a ceremony in Karbala marking 40 days since the burial of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, where Qalibaf asserted that Iran and Iraq would not allow Western governments to dictate their destiny.