Iraq Seeks Syrian Route to Mediterranean Ports for Crude Exports

Iraq is seeking a land route through Syria to Mediterranean ports for crude exports as disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz put pressure on regional energy shipments.

The proposed corridor would move crude by tanker truck through western Iraq and Syria before loading at a Mediterranean port. The plan would add crude exports to existing fuel-oil and petroleum-product flows through Syria.

Iraq is also considering routes through Turkey’s Ceyhan port and Jordan. A Syrian corridor would revive historic land corridors linking Iraq with the Mediterranean and provide an alternative to maritime shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

A longer-term pipeline option faces major construction and security challenges. Iraq and Syria signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington in July to revive the Kirkuk-Baniyas crude pipeline. Rebuilding the route could take four years and cost at least $15 billion because new infrastructure would be required.

The proposal comes as Syria expands its role in regional fuel transit. Syria has begun gasoline shipments to Iraq through Baniyas, with future deals potentially covering crude oil, other petroleum products and additional goods.

The proposed truck route and the pipeline revival remain separate options: one would use road transport, while the other would require a major infrastructure project linking Iraqi oil fields with Syria’s Mediterranean coast.