ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq has announced plans to export oil to the Red Sea through a pipeline project linking Basra to multiple export routes amid ongoing disruptions at the strategic waterway of Strait of Hormuz caused by the Iran war.
The announcement was made during a special meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday, according to a statement from his media office.
"Basra-Haditha carrier pipeline project will ensure flexibility in transporting crude oil toward the Turkish port of Ceyhan, as well as the ports of Baniyas and Aqaba [in Jordan]," read the statement, adding that the project "will provide the flexibility to supply refineries in the central and northern regions and increase their production capacity under various circumstances."
The pipeline is designed to run from Basra to the town of Haditha in Anbar province, extending approximately 1,665 kilometers toward Jordan’s Port of Aqaba on the Red Sea, with additional flexibility to connect to existing export routes through Kirkuk and onward to Turkey’s Ceyhan port.
The move comes as Iraq faces mounting pressure on its oil export infrastructure following repeated instability in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for global energy supplies. Before the United States and Israel military campaign against Iran that began on February 28, Iraq’s oil production stood at around 4.5 million barrels per day, with approximately 3.5 million barrels exported daily, including output from the Kurdistan Region.
Disruptions to maritime traffic have since significantly affected shipments, given that nearly 90 percent of Iraq’s oil exports traditionally pass through the waterway.
In response, Baghdad has intensified efforts to diversify export routes. Crude shipments through Syria began in late March via tanker transport to the Mediterranean port of Baniyas in Syria, while Iraq has also explored routing oil through Jordan and Turkey as part of a broader export strategy.
Prime Minister Sudani said the project would significantly expand Iraq’s export capacity and resilience, stating that it ensures the continuation of crude oil exports through multiple routes.
"We also emphasized that when the project was proposed, it represented a proactive foresight of current regional conditions and a precaution against the potential disruption of existing export routes," the statement added.
A key decision during Sunday's meeting was the allocation of $1.5 billion for the project this year, to be financed through the Iraq-China agreement framework.
Iraq’s efforts to diversify exports have already begun to shift flows. Oil exports via Syria have been conducted using tanker convoys, with officials reporting that around 700 tankers per day have been transporting oil through the newly-opened al-Waleed border crossing in Anbar toward Baniyas.
On Friday, an oil tanker recently arrived at Basra’s offshore terminals to load two million barrels of crude after receiving approval to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker, identified as HELGA and sailing under the Comoros flag, has been anchored at Basra port since Friday evening, according to oil ministry sources.
Hastyar Qadir contributed to this article.
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