Banias Named as Outlet
Iraq is working to export crude oil through the port of Banias on Syria's Mediterranean coast, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani said on 21 August 2026. Speaking at a dialogue forum in Baghdad, he described Banias, alongside the Jordanian port of Aqaba, as part of a plan to open new routes for Iraqi oil to reach world markets.
The statement places Syrian territory at the center of Baghdad's search for export capacity, at a time when its main outlet to the sea has been cut off.
Bypassing the Hormuz Blockage
Al-Sudani said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz "represents a major challenge" for his country. Before the American-Israeli war on Iran began in late February 2026, Iraq exported an average of 105 million barrels a month, most of it shipped from Basra in the south through the strait.
After Iran closed the waterway, Iraq halted output at most fields as storage tanks filled. It has since relied on limited exports moved overland across Syria by tanker truck and on a pipeline through Turkey to the port of Ceyhan.
Higher Production Targets
The prime minister said Iraq intends to raise oil production to between 8 million and 10 million barrels a day within six years, up from about 4 million barrels a day before the war. He added that a ministerial committee had been sent to Saudi Arabia to discuss increasing Iraq's share of output within OPEC.
Reaching those volumes would require export outlets well beyond the disrupted Hormuz route, giving added weight to the Banias and Aqaba options.
Stakes for Syria
For Syria, a working oil corridor through Banias would carry foreign crude across its territory and strengthen its position as a transit country for regional energy. Overland shipments by truck are already crossing the country, though on a limited scale.
Al-Sudani framed the effort as part of a wider push to expand exports through Ceyhan as well as through Banias and Aqaba. He did not give a timeline for when pipeline or port shipments through Syria might begin.