Trump says Syria offers alternative to Strait of Hormuz for oil shipments
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday pointed to Syria as an alternative route for oil shipments amid continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Many oil pipelines are being built in the Middle East,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that trucks are transporting oil through Syria.
The remarks came a day after Trump welcomed a Washington Post report highlighting Syria’s growing role as an alternative energy and trade corridor as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted amid the war with Iran.
According to the report, around 5,000 oil-laden trucks are now crossing daily from southern Iraq through Syria toward the Mediterranean port of Baniyas. Iraqi oil exporters began using the route in April as a limited trial to bypass the Strait of Hormuz before expanding the operation.
In July, the Trump administration backed a Chevron-led pipeline project that would transport up to 2 million barrels of crude oil per day from Basra in southern Iraq to Baniyas.
The proposed pipeline would stretch about 1,000 miles and cost an estimated $5.7 billion. Construction is expected to take at least two and a half years.
Syria and Jordan are increasingly being considered as potential regional trade corridors as countries seek alternative routes amid continuing tensions around the strategic waterway.