Iraq and Syria Plan to Rebuild Kirkuk-Baniyas Oil Pipeline

The United States supports plans by Iraq and Syria to rebuild the Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline, a U.S. State Department official said. The line would carry crude from fields near Kirkuk in northern Iraq to Syria’s Mediterranean coast.

The route is intended to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and reduce reliance on tanker traffic through the narrow waterway that carries a significant share of global oil exports. The official told Reuters that the support aims to lessen Iran’s potential to disrupt future traffic in the corridor. The United States expects U.S.

Companies to play a role in the reconstruction of the Kirkuk-Baniyas oil route. No construction timeline, cost estimates, financing details, security arrangements, or regulatory approvals have been released.