Iraq turns to Jordan’s Aqaba port after Hormuz disruption

Shafaq News- Amman

Five cargo ships carrying food and industrial goods for Iraq docked at Jordan's Aqaba port despite continued disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Mahmoud Khalifat, director general of the Aqaba Ports Corporation, said on Friday.

Jordanian media cited Khalifat as saying the port has received 100,000 tons of vegetable oils designated for Iraq, while two ships carrying around 65,000 tons are awaiting unloading. Transit shipments included rice, corn, sugar, iron and timber destined for Iraqi markets, which have increasingly relied on the Aqaba port for import operations over the past two months.

Before the Hormuz disruption, Iraq depended heavily on Gulf shipping routes for imports and oil exports, which fell to 10 million barrels through the strait in April from pre-war levels of around 93 million barrels per month, according to Iraq’s Oil Ministry.

Baghdad has also accelerated efforts to expand Mediterranean export routes and overland transport links through Syria and Turkiye.

Read more: Hormuz lockdown: Iraq’s economic lifeline under threat