Iraq and Syria sign agreement to restore oil pipeline that would provide alternative to Strait of Hormuz

Iraq and Syria signed an agreement to rebuild an oil pipeline from Kirkuk to Syria’s Mediterranean coast, providing an alternative export route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The deal, signed at a U.S. investment summit in Washington, D.C., comes as Iraq’s oil production has fallen sharply due to disruptions in the strait during the U.S.-Iran war. Other Gulf states, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are also expanding pipeline capacity to reduce their dependence on Hormuz.