Iraq is preparing to expand crude oil and naphtha exports through Syrian ports as it moves to diversify trade routes after the Iran war disrupted its main Gulf shipping channels and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraq expects to return oil production from its southern fields to levels exceeding three million barrels per day within one to two months, Iraq's state news agency reported.
Qatar Airways continues to reinstate its network across the Middle East, announcing the return of passenger flights to Baghdad (BGW), Basra (BSR), and Erbil (EBL) in Iraq, starting on May 10, 2026.
Countries striking side deals with Iran to secure oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are raising fresh concerns among Gulf exporters, as the lack of progress in US-Iran peace talks fuels fears that Tehran could entrench its new control over one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Iraq could restore crude oil exports to around 3.4 million barrels per day within a week provided the Iran war ends and the Strait of Hormuz reopens, the head of the country’s state-run Basra Oil Company said.
An oil tanker loaded with Iraqi crude was seen passing through the Strait of Hormuz close to the Iranian coast a day after Iran said Iraq was exempt from any restrictions to transit the vital sea route, data from LSEG and Kpler showed.
Maysan Oil Company, owned by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, announced late Saturday (April 4) that its warehouses in the Bazarkan's oil field in Maysan Province were subjected to an unidentified drone attack.
Iraq has approved the bidding process for a $4.6 billion oil pipeline linking Basra to Haditha, in a step aimed at strengthening its crude export infrastructure. The planned pipeline will stretch 685 km, transporting crude oil from southern Iraq to northern regions.
Iraqi oil production from its main southern oilfields has fallen by 70 per cent to just 1.3 million barrels per day as the country is unable to export oil via the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war, three industry sources said.
Crude oil supplies from Iraq and Kuwait could start shutting in within days if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, potentially cutting 3.3 million barrels per day (bpd) by day eight of the Middle East conflict, JP Morgan analysts said in a note.
