Iraq and Syria Plan to Rebuild 800-km Oil Pipeline Bypassing Hormuz Strait

According to U.S. officials, Iraq and Syria plan to rebuild a defunct cross-border oil pipeline to transport crude from northern Iraqi oilfields to Syria's Mediterranean port, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports by Jin10 on July 14.

The pipeline, originally constructed in 1952, stretches approximately 800 kilometers from Kirkuk in Iraq to Banias in Syria, with daily capacity of 300,000 barrels. The infrastructure suffered severe damage during the Iran-Iraq War and Iraq War and has been abandoned for years. Restoration efforts will require comprehensive repairs to damaged pump stations and power systems, potentially taking two to three years to complete.