Pakistan and Iraq have reached separate agreements with Iran to secure the movement of oil and liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions, highlighting Tehran’s growing control over one of the world’s most important energy routes.
The development comes as the ongoing US Israeli conflict with Iran continues to disrupt global energy supplies from the Gulf region, which normally accounts for around 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and LNG exports.
According to Reuters, two LNG cargoes from Qatar are currently heading to Pakistan under a bilateral understanding reached between Islamabad and Tehran to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan heavily depends on LNG imports from Gulf countries, particularly during the summer season when electricity demand rises sharply because of cooling requirements. Before the conflict escalated, Pakistan was importing around 10 LNG cargoes every month.
Sources said Qatar was not directly involved in the arrangement between Pakistan and Iran, although Doha reportedly informed the United States before the shipments moved toward Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Iraq also secured Iranian approval for the safe passage of two very large crude carriers carrying around 2 million barrels of oil each through the strait on Sunday. Iraqi officials are now seeking approval for additional shipments as Baghdad attempts to protect oil revenues that account for nearly 95 percent of the country’s budget.
Energy analysts said Iran appears to be shifting its strategy from blocking the Strait of Hormuz to actively controlling access to it following weeks of conflict and disruption in Gulf shipping routes.
Claudio Steuer of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies told Reuters that Hormuz is “no longer a neutral transit route” but instead a “controlled corridor” under Iranian influence. Industry experts warned that if more countries begin negotiating passage deals directly with Tehran, it could normalize long term Iranian control over the strait and significantly reshape regional energy politics.
Before the war, nearly 3,000 vessels passed through Hormuz every month. Current traffic has reportedly fallen to around 5 percent of normal levels, causing severe supply disruptions in global energy markets.
Brent crude prices have surged more than 50 percent since the conflict escalated earlier this year, while LNG prices across Europe and Asia have risen between 35 percent and 50 percent amid fears of prolonged shortages and shipping disruptions.
Sources also said Iran has started requiring countries such as Iraq to submit detailed documentation for every tanker, including ownership details, cargo specifications, and destination information, before allowing transit under routes supervised by Iranian naval forces.
A Pakistani source involved in discussions with Tehran told Reuters that negotiations over vessel passage have faced occasional difficulties, claiming that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had sometimes changed requirements during the process.
