Long queues formed today in front of petrol stations in Baghdad, as imports through the Strait of Hormuz continue to decline since the outbreak of the Middle East war. Although it is OPEC's second-largest oil producer, Iraq imports oil derivatives to meet domestic demand, as its refineries do not produce sufficient quantities of petrol for a population exceeding 46 million. Iraq, whose economy has been severely affected since the outbreak of the war at the end of February and the disruption of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, has faced a petrol shortage for weeks that has translated into queues, particularly in front of government stations in several provinces. Minister of Oil Bassem Khodair announced on Friday that "the temporary shortage that occurred in petrol is being addressed," pointing out that "additional shipments of petrol will arrive soon." Ministry spokesman Salim al-Rekabi indicated that "the events in the region and the ongoing conflict are causing some logistical problems for the movement of petrol tankers, which delays their arrival or docking at Iraqi ports." He called on residents to "take only their needs of petrol and not to crowd in front of fuel stations."