Saudi Arabia's energy department issued a statement on the 22nd denying the country's purchase of 25 oil tankers, saying that the Iraqi side's claim that Saudi Arabia is buying oil tankers and therefore driving up the transportation costs of Iraqi crude oil is untrue. According to Reuters, an Iraqi media said on the 21st that Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair Abadi said in his speech in parliament that Saudi Arabia has purchased 25 oil tankers with a total value of about 4.5 billion US dollars. This move has led to a sharp rise in transportation costs of Iraqi crude oil, from about 26 US dollars to about 37 US dollars per barrel. The Saudi Ministry of Energy said in a statement on the 22nd that Khudair's statement about Saudi Arabia's purchase of oil tankers is untrue, and that the sharp rise in crude oil transportation costs is due to factors such as the escalation of the regional situation, the blockage of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and a sharp increase in shipping risks and insurance costs.

Saudi Arabia's energy department issued a statement on the 22nd denying the country's purchase of 25 oil tankers, saying that the Iraqi side's claim that Saudi Arabia is buying oil tankers and therefore driving up the transportation costs of Iraqi crude oil is untrue. According to Reuters, an Iraqi media said on the 21st that Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair Abadi said in his speech in parliament that Saudi Arabia has purchased 25 oil tankers with a total value of about 4.5 billion US dollars. This move has led to a sharp rise in transportation costs of Iraqi crude oil, from about 26 US dollars to about 37 US dollars per barrel. The Saudi Ministry of Energy said in a statement on the 22nd that Khudair's statement about Saudi Arabia's purchase of oil tankers is untrue, and that the sharp rise in crude oil transportation costs is due to factors such as the escalation of the regional situation, the blockage of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and a sharp increase in shipping risks and insurance costs.