Bureaucratic red tape halts Iraqi oil tankers heading to Syria

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has forced Iraq to rely heavily on overland tankers as the primary alternative for exporting black oil through Syria to reach international markets. This dynamic shift in shipping logistics aims to generate vital oil revenues and maintain the operational sustainability of domestic refineries.

However, Iraqi economic expert Nabil Al-Marsoumi revealed on Sunday, May 31, 2026, that a wave of intense administrative bottlenecks and bureaucratic red tape has sidelined thousands of tankers, severely dragging down exported volumes.

According to Al-Marsoumi, the strict requirement for drivers to secure specialized security clearances has emerged as a major barrier to trade fluidness. The vetting process demands the submission of hyper-detailed personal dossiers, including the driver’s name, their spouse’s name, and exact identity card issuance dates.

A single typo or minor error in this documentation immediately bars the driver from loading cargo until a new official dispatch is issued—a corrective administrative process that can trap drivers in limbo for up to two months. Furthermore, operators face the heavy financial burden of installing mandatory tracking hardware that costs approximately 1 million IQD per tanker.

The operational friction stretches far beyond paperwork and cuts directly into the financial survival of the workforce. Tanker drivers report that several transport companies contracted by the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) have failed to disburse their rightful transit wages for over a year and a half.

This prolonged payment freeze has triggered widespread anxiety among operators, who openly fear that the Strait of Hormuz could suddenly reopen, leaving them with no leverage to recover their back pay from these underfunded intermediaries.

To prevent further economic deterioration and clear the logistical gridlock, Al-Marsoumi presented an urgent five-point rescue strategy for state energy officials. He strongly recommended completely eliminating or temporarily suspending security clearances for drivers and vehicles to protect the national economy.

Additionally, he called for reopening registration dispatches on a weekly basis so companies can smoothly onboard new trucks, and urged authorities to completely bypass slow sonar inspections at checkpoints.

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المصدر: Iraqi News