Iraq has begun actively using Syria as an alternative route for exporting petroleum products in an effort to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, Bloomberg reports.<\/p>\n
In recent months, Syria has transformed from a minor market participant into one of the region’s key export hubs. The country now accounts for more than a quarter of the Middle East’s fuel oil exports.<\/p>\n
Fuel is transported by thousands of trucks, which take approximately four days to reach Syria’s Mediterranean ports. According to energy analytics firm Vortexa, Syria exported 720,000 metric tons of fuel oil in June, making it the largest exporter of the product in the Middle East, with a 28% share of the region’s total exports.<\/p>\n
Iraq has been forced to seek alternative export routes due to risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies passed before the recent escalation. Any disruption or closure of this strategic waterway poses significant risks to Iraq’s exports and oil revenues.<\/p>\n
In addition to Syria, Iraq is also transporting fuel through Jordan to the Port of Aqaba on the Red Sea. According to traders’ estimates, approximately 100,000 metric tons of fuel oil are shipped via this route each month.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Iraq is considering expanding alternative export routes for crude oil. One option under discussion is the restoration of the Kirkuk\u2013Baniyas pipeline, which has been out of operation for more than two decades.<\/p>\n
The United States is supporting discussions aimed at developing trade corridors between Iraq and Syria and rebuilding critical infrastructure. However, the implementation of such projects could take years due to ongoing security risks and the complex situation in Syria.<\/p>\n
Analysts note that even if conditions in the Strait of Hormuz stabilize, Iraq may continue using the new overland routes, as recent regional conflicts have highlighted the importance of diversifying export corridors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":151942,"menu_order":0,"template":"","newscat":[9],"newstag":[],"issues":[],"class_list":["post-151941","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","newscat-novosti"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ldaily.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/151941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ldaily.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ldaily.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldaily.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ldaily.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"newscat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldaily.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newscat?post=151941"},{"taxonomy":"newstag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldaily.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newstag?post=151941"},{"taxonomy":"issues","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldaily.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issues?post=151941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}