Should an impasse develop and Iran decide to block the Strait of Hormuz, an anonymous source close to Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told NIQASH that Iraq had been looking at other options for keeping oil exports flowing.
One option is sending more oil through the Jihan-Kirkuk pipeline in the north. Another was the Baniyas-Kirkuk pipeline, which goes from the Kirkuk to port of Baniyas in Syria. “Despite the problems in that country, we are optimistic about using this pipeline,” the source said.
Another option was a currently defunct pipeline that went between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the source added.
However as al-Atrushi was quick to point out, these were only theories at the moment. “We’d need months, or even years, to actually apply these solutions,” he said, noting also that the Arab Gulf countries are better placed to find solutions to any Hormuz Strait blockade. “Saudi Arabia has access to the Red Sea and the United Arab Emirates have access through the Sultanate of Oman. As for Kuwait, it has a financial surplus which would protect the country from any budget deficit [due to oil export issues].”
Meanwhile in other parts of the Iraqi government, politicians are advocating a diplomatic solution. “Iraq can use its special relationship with Iran to deter any closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Iraqiya bloc MP Liqa Wardi, told NIQASH. “Members of the government are allied with Iranian officials and this relationship could be utilized to safeguard Iraq’s interests.”
Wardi’s political bloc, Iraqiya, is in opposition to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition, which is dominated by Shiite Muslim interests – Iraqiya MPs often accuse the State of Law MPs of being overly influenced by the Iranian government, which is also Shiite Muslim dominated.
The US has also been interested in getting Iraq to work diplomatically in this case. The US government often works with Swiss intermediaries when contacting their Iranian counterparts. But recently the US passed on a letter to Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani, who is also known to have strong links with Iran, asking him to deliver it to Iranian officials.
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