U.S. advances plans for Iraq-Syria oil pipeline to bypass Strait of Hormuz

The United States has advanced plans to build an oil pipeline connecting Iraq and Syria that would allow crude shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The route would give producers an overland option for moving oil from fields in northern Iraq toward Mediterranean terminals.

No construction timeline or cost estimates have been released.

Officials have not identified the companies that would build or operate the line. The pipeline would reduce reliance on tanker traffic through the narrow waterway that currently carries a significant share of global oil exports.

Any alternative route would lessen exposure to potential disruptions in that corridor. Further details on financing, security arrangements, and regulatory approvals have not been disclosed.