Iraq Seeks New Oil Export Routes via Jordan and Syria to Cut Reliance on Strait of Hormuz

Zainab Al-Khazraji, a member of the Iraqi parliament's Oil Committee, told Shafaq News on Monday, 19 Mordad 1405 (August 10, 2026), that Baghdad is moving toward Syria and Jordan as potential new crude export outlets, alongside Turkiye, as it seeks to diversify its routes to international markets. According to Shafaq News, Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer, relies on oil exports for about 90 percent of federal revenue, leaving it especially exposed to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz; only seven vessels transited the strait in the 24 hours to Monday. The same day, Iraq's Oil Ministry announced plans for a new pipeline system along two routes, one reaching Fishkhabur on the Turkish border and the other extending to Baniyas on Syria's Mediterranean coast, aimed at reducing reliance on Hormuz. A government source had earlier told Shafaq News that an Iraqi delegation would travel to Iran for talks on energy supplies and securing safe passage for tankers carrying Iraqi crude through the strait.