Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is once again closed. US bombing hasn’t changed their minds yet.
A 500-mile bypass to the Strait is being revived. It will be especially important for Iraq.
Iraq, Syria and the US plan to revive a historic 500-mile pipeline to Syria’s Mediterranean coast as part of efforts to reduce Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, senior Iraqi and regional officials have told Middle East Eye.
An agreement to revive the pipeline, originally running from the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk to Syria’s coastal town of Baniyas, is expected to be unveiled next week when Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets US President Donald Trump at the White House, the sources told MEE.
The pipeline was completed in 1952 by Iraq’s Petroleum Company with around 300,000 barrels per day (BPD) of capacity. It’s not a replacement for the Strait.
Iraq is one of the most vulnerable countries to Iran’s chokehold on Hormuz. It relies on the Strait to export 95 percent of its oil. Despite the closeness of some Iraqi militias to Iran, Iraq has been unable to export its oil.
Saudi Arabia also has a bypass.
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— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 12, 2026
