Iraq is sending its oil west. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, Baghdad has struck a deal to export crude and naphtha through Syria’s Mediterranean ports, starting in July 2026.
The plan calls for 50,000 barrels per day to flow through the Syrian route, primarily via the port of Baniyas. For a country where oil revenues account for roughly 90% of the national budget, this isn’t a strategic preference. It’s an economic survival move.
The new pipeline to the Mediterranean
The Iraqi cabinet approved the arrangement in early June 2026, greenlighting the transportation, storage, and handling of crude oil through both Baniyas and Tartus ports on Syria’s coast.
The ambition goes well beyond 50,000 bpd. Iraq aims to truck up to 650,000 tons of oil per month along this route.
