Iran Exempts Iraq from Hormuz Blockade Amid Drone Strike on Israel-Linked Ship
Tehran allows Iraqi shipping while targeting commercial vessel allegedly connected to Israel
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran’s military announced on Saturday that Iraqi shipping will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz despite its broader blockade of the strategic waterway at the mouth of the Gulf.
Spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari told state television, “We announce that our brotherly country of Iraq is exempt from any restrictions we have imposed on the Strait of Hormuz, and these restrictions only apply to enemy countries.”
The statement comes amid heightened regional tensions linked to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war, which has seen repeated attacks on energy and shipping infrastructure.
Earlier in the day, in a separate announcement, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched a drone strike on a commercial vessel they claim is linked to Israel.
According to the Guards, the MSC Ishyka, “owned by the Israeli regime and flying the flag of a third country,” was attacked at the Khalifa Bin Salman port in Bahrain, catching fire following the strike.
The attack was first reported on the Guards’ X account, which described the vessel as being targeted “in the Strait of Hormuz.”
MarineTraffic data indicated that the Liberian-flagged MSC Ishyka remained moored at the Bahrain port on Friday night, suggesting that while the vessel sustained damage, it had not sunk.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil trade passes. Iran’s partial blockade has already disrupted regional shipping and contributed to volatility in global energy markets, raising concerns for countries reliant on uninterrupted oil and gas imports.
By explicitly exempting Iraq, Tehran appears to be attempting to maintain at least limited regional trade flows while signaling that its blockade and military operations are directed at countries it considers hostile.
Analysts note that such targeted exemptions are a diplomatic tool amid an increasingly dangerous conflict, aiming to avoid alienating neighbors while asserting leverage over strategic maritime routes.
In a related development, on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Iran, warning of imminent escalation unless Tehran complies with demands related to the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Iran had “48 hours” to “make a deal or open up the Hormuz Strait,” adding that “all Hell will reign down” if the deadline is not met.
The warning comes as tensions in the Middle East continue to surge amid an ongoing war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The latest rhetoric follows a dramatic escalation in the conflict, which began on February 28 with coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting Iranian military and strategic infrastructure under what has been described as a broad campaign to weaken Tehran’s military capabilities.