Closing Strait of Hormuz to damage Iraqi interests, says MP

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) MP Abdul Khadher al-Tahir of the Iraqiya Slate (IS) assured that “Iraq would be the most affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” calling on the government to “play a role in the convergence of views.”

He said in a statement to Iraqi News (IraqiNews.com) today that “Closing of the Strait will have a significant negative impact on Iraq and it should play a real role in the convergence of views between Iran and other countries and not let the situation to reach the war edge in the region.”

The Iraqi government has recently ratified the recommendations of two specialized committees to ensure export of crude oil through alternative ports if the Strait of Hormuz is closed.

Al-Tahir stressed that “The countries of the region have to treat things according to their interests because any threat of war in the region will affect all sides and causes the region unknown disaster.”

The newspaper [Subh Sadiq] speaking on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, has revealed on the fourth of this month the preparation of a draft law to be presented to the Iranian parliament which calls for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz completely.

It quoted a member of the Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy in the Iranian Shura Council Jawad Karimi Quaddosi as saying that “100 MPs out of 290 MPs of the Iranian parliament signed on this project which may result in action to prevent oil tankers crossing the strait to the oil-consuming countries,” in a reaction to the sanctions imposed by these countries on Tehran as a result of its nuclear controversial project.