Iraq and Syria Plan to Rebuild Cross-Border Oil Pipeline Bypassing the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. officials familiar with the matter said on July 14 that Iraq and Syria plan to rebuild an oil pipeline that has been abandoned for many years, carrying crude from oil fields in northern Iraq to a Mediterranean port in Syria and bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. According to Jin10, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Barrack has held talks with Iraq, Syria, and relevant U.S. companies on restoring the pipeline. The pipeline was originally built in 1952, running about 800 kilometers from Kirkuk in eastern Iraq to Baniyas in western Syria, with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day. It was severely damaged during the Iran-Iraq War and the Iraq War and has long been out of service. The report said the pipeline's pumping stations and power system are badly damaged and would require a full repair, which could take two to three years.