Iraq has restarted overland oil exports through Syria, marking a significant shift in regional energy logistics as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to wreak havoc on traditional shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Ali Nazar, director general of Iraq’s state oil marketer Somo, said on Wednesday that the company had agreed to export 50,000 barrels per day of Basra medium crude via Syria to the Mediterranean, with plans to increase volumes. The crude will reach European markets through the Syrian port of Baniyas.
Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that fuel convoys had begun entering the country through al-Tanf crossing, signalling what it described as a renewed role for Syria as a transit hub. The Syrian Petroleum Company said it would store the shipments before transferring them to Baniyas for export.
Safwan Sheikh Ahmad, the company’s communications director, said the first convoy includes 299 tankers and called the move a “step toward restoring Syria’s role as a key energy corridor in the region”.
The operation is expected to generate revenue for Damascus and revive transit infrastructure damaged during years of civil [proxy] war. Syrian officials said the process demonstrates the country’s readiness to handle large-scale energy flows in line with international standards.
According to Reuters, Somo has also agreed to supply about 650,000 metric tonnes of fuel oil per month between April and June, with shipments transported overland through Syria.
Iraq has not relied on this route for decades. However, sources told Reuters that the aftermath of Syria’s war and the disruption caused by the Israeli-US war on Iran have made it a viable, albeit more expensive, alternative.
Muayyad al-Dulaimi, spokesperson for Anbar province in Iraq, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the renewed use of the al-Walid crossing reflects an “exceptional step” driven by regional instability. He noted that an initial phase saw 101 tankers transport around 3.2 million litres of crude to Baniyas.
He said the move forms part of a broader strategy to secure alternative export routes as risks increase along key maritime corridors. While the volumes remain limited, al-Dulaimi stressed that the route helps sustain exports and ease pressure on state revenues.
Iraqi officials acknowledge the arrangement is temporary. Higher costs and logistical demands mean Baghdad will ultimately depend on restoring stability across its main export channels.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Iran War:
Any disturbance in the Red Sea or in the Strait of Hormuz, Syria constitutes a safe haven for the safety of supply chains through its strategic location.
European countries will suffer from the interruption of energy supplies from… pic.twitter.com/Plf4Q3Nbil
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 30, 2026
In early March, Iraq restarted crude exports from the Kirkuk oilfields to Turkey’s Ceyhan port after Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq struck a deal to resume flows. The state-run North Oil Company said shipments would begin with an initial capacity of about 250,000 barrels per day.
Global oil prices have surged since the start of the war on February 28 with the global benchmark Brent crude oil price briefly hitting $119 per barrel on Tuesday.