First Cargoes Reach US Shores
The United States has received fuel oil of Iraqi origin shipped through Syria for the first time on record, according to vessel-tracking data covering loadings at the Mediterranean port of Baniyas. The cargoes moved between June and July 2026 and were bound for the US Gulf Coast.
No Iraqi fuel oil had reached the United States since March 2026, making the Syria-routed barrels a notable shift in trade flows.
Three Tankers, Set Volumes
Three Aframax tankers carried the fuel oil. The On Passion left Baniyas on 17 June 2026 with about 716,600 barrels; roughly 487,600 barrels were discharged in the Bahamas in mid-July, and the remainder was scheduled to unload in Texas later that month.
The Nissos Christina loaded about 288,500 barrels and departed by 8 July, due at the US Gulf Coast in early August. The Green Warrior took on roughly 414,400 barrels in mid- to late July, with arrival expected in the third week of August.
Activity at Baniyas
The Iraqi fuel oil is trucked across the border into Syria and loaded onto tankers at Baniyas. Since the re-export route opened in early May 2026, one tanker has loaded there every seven to 10 days.
About 900 tanker trucks unload at the terminal each day. All shipments currently leaving Baniyas consist of Iraqi fuel oil.
Route Around Hormuz
The corridor gained importance after the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed for several months amid regional conflict, prompting Iraq to diversify its export outlets. Baghdad has signaled it intends to keep the Syrian route even if traffic through Hormuz normalizes.
Weight for Syria's Coast
The shipments return Baniyas to service as a working Mediterranean outlet for cross-border oil, with authorities preparing additional handling capacity at the port. The traffic gives Syria a renewed transit role along a corridor linking Iraqi supply to international buyers.