Iraq and Syria Discuss Exporting 2 Million BPD of Oil via Baniyas Port

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa held talks on Wednesday in Damascus, focusing on deepening economic and security ties, with a key item being the potential export of up to two million barrels per day of Iraqi crude oil through Syria’s Baniyas port on the Mediterranean coast.

The meeting marked the first visit by an Iraqi premier to Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government in late 2024, signaling a step forward in bilateral relations between the two countries, which share a land border stretching more than 600 kilometres.

Scope of Discussions

According to a statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office, the discussions covered expanding bilateral trade, developing the agricultural sector to achieve food and economic integration, and the proposed oil export route via Baniyas. The statement did not specify a timeline for when the route would begin operating at the targeted capacity.

Al-Zaidi underlined initiatives to build partnerships in the social and economic spheres, strengthen security cooperation, and align positions on regional and global issues, the PMO added.

The Syrian Presidency said the lengthy discussions in Damascus also addressed ways to promote security, economic and commercial cooperation, along with regional and international developments.

Oil Export Context and Pipeline Revival

Iraq has already begun shipping limited volumes of oil through Baniyas, a move driven by disruptions to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In July, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to revive the Haditha–Baniyas pipeline. A subsequent deal was reached with a consortium of three companies, including US-based Chevron, to carry out the project.

The pipeline, originally built in 1952, was abandoned in 2003 after sustaining damage during the US-led invasion of Iraq. Its reactivation would give Iraqi crude an alternative export route to international markets via the Mediterranean Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.