Iraq to Syria oil pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz could be revived within three years

Oilprice reported on Wednesday 5 August 2026 that a senior Syrian official has said the rebuilding of an old oil pipeline running from Iraq to Syria, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, would take at most three years.

Youssef Qablawi, a chief executive, said completing the renovation of the line from Haditha in Iraq to the Syrian Mediterranean port of Baniyas would take "three years at most". The route is designed to carry crude oil from the Kirkuk fields to the Mediterranean.

According to the report, the Hormuz crisis that has halted most of Iraq's crude oil exports has accelerated plans by Baghdad and Damascus to rebuild the damaged pipeline. Any export route that reduces the region's dependence on the Strait of Hormuz carries direct significance for the oil market and for Iran's economy, which sits at the centre of that waterway.