An aerial view of oil facilities at the Baniyas port refinery on the Mediterranean Sea on April 15, 2026. Photo: AFP via Getty Images
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq has officially started importing gasoline through Syria, creating a crucial overland energy corridor between the two nations.
This transit route serves as a critical alternative for Baghdad to secure vital fuel supplies amid difficulties facing maritime shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The initial consignment consisted of roughly 32,800 metric tons of high-octane gasoline brought by sea from the United States. The shipment arrived at Syria’s Baniyas port aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Avanti.
The fuel was moved to storage tanks at the Baniyas refinery before being loaded into tanker trucks. At least 77 tanker trucks have already left the port, headed toward Iraq’s Baiji refinery, according to Reuters.
A transit contract between the state-owned Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) and Qatar’s UCC Holding, which provided the gasoline and is in charge of logistics, governs the operation.
Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) has finalized the agreement to ensure the continuity of these supplies.
The route was only used in one direction, transporting Iraqi fuel oil by road to the Syrian port of Baniyas before being exported out by sea, reaching the US market for the first time in July.
According to officials, while the present transportation arrangement only covers gasoline, the corridor might potentially grow to include other petroleum products, crude oil, and other items.