Iraq expects to restore oil production levels within two months

Iraqi Ministry of Oil spokesperson Salim Farhoud stated on Friday that the country expects to return to pre-war oil production levels within one to two months. Before the conflict began in late February, Iraq exported approximately 3.5 million barrels of oil per day, primarily through the Strait of Hormuz. The war and the subsequent Iranian blockade of the strait forced Iraq to scale back production as storage facilities reached capacity. Export routes were limited to pipelines through Turkey and Syria during the crisis. Recent hostilities have subsided following an agreement between Washington and Tehran to end combat, although follow-up negotiations remain stalled. The Strait of Hormuz has begun to resume operations this week. Iraqi authorities report that oil fields previously forced to reduce output have already commenced ramping up capacity.