The foreign ministers of Iraq and Iran discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz

Iraq's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, 2 August 2026 (11 Mordad 1405), that Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein welcomed renewed efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz through diplomacy during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. The IRNA news agency also reported that the call took place.

According to the Iraqi ministry's statement, Hussein said Baghdad is monitoring the situation closely and hopes agreements will be reached to restore navigation through the strait as soon as possible. The two sides discussed developments in Hormuz over the past two days and their impact on maritime security and regional stability.

The same day, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that under its maritime blockade of Iran it had redirected 35 commercial vessels, disabled two ships and boarded two others. At the same time, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its navy had struck two oil tankers in the strait and forced four other vessels to turn back. The Strait of Hormuz is the main export route for Persian Gulf oil, and Iraq, which is Iran's largest non oil export market, loads most of its own crude exports at its southern terminals along that route.