Iraq prepares to reopen Syrian land route for oil exports to bypass Gulf

Iraq is planning a new land route through Syria to diversify its oil exports after the rising security risks in the Strait of Hormuz paralyzed the global oil and energy market amid the Middle East crisis, Anadolu reports.

Iraq exports most of its crude through southern terminals in Basra, but recent maritime tensions in the Gulf have prompted Baghdad to seek alternatives.

Asim Jihad, an Iraqi oil expert, told Anadolu Agency that the Iraqi Oil Ministry’s main mitigation strategy is to increase shipments through Turkiye’s Port of Ceyhan from the current daily volume of 150,000-200,000 barrels to 300,000 barrels.

Suspended shipments in the Strait of Hormuz are costing Iraq around 3.5 million barrels of oil per day.

While revenues from the alternative tanker shipments are expected to be limited, Jihad said Baghdad is pursuing the option to ease economic pressure and address budget shortfalls.

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He said constructing new pipelines would be the ultimate and only sustainable long-term option, as the existing Iraq-Syria oil pipeline is not currently suitable for exports.

Ali Naji, president of the Eco-Iraq Observatory, said resuming shipments through Syria is important because it would provide Iraq with a much-needed alternative and allow the country to build a more flexible export structure by reducing its heavy dependence on the Gulf.

Naji said establishing an additional export corridor through Syrian territory could lay the foundation for bilateral cooperation in oil and logistics, support broader economic ties, and create a suitable environment for reactivating pipeline projects or developing new energy infrastructure.

He added that the high logistical cost of transporting oil by tanker trucks, compared with traditional pipelines, poses a challenge to the project, along with the limited volume that can be moved by truck and ongoing security risks along land routes.

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