📰 Will the Kirkuk–Baniyas Pipeline Open the Door to Economic Integration Between Baghdad and Damascus?

The Kirkuk–Baniyas pipeline, built in the 1950s, was once one of the Middle East’s most crucial oil arteries. It carried Iraqi crude oil to the port of Baniyas on the Mediterranean, making energy-cooperation-with-switzerland-and-jordan/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Syria explores energy cooperation with Switzerland and Jordan">syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria a strategic export gateway in the regional energy equation. But this pipeline—once a symbol of Arab economic integration—was eventually halted after decades of wars, sanctions, and political rifts. It had a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day, but has remained idle since 2003, when it was severely damaged during the U.

S. invasion of Iraq. Even before that, Baghdad had suspended its operation in 1982 and 2000 due to political disputes. Today, the idea of reviving the pipeline is back in the spotlight after official Iraqi statements verified that technical talks had begun between Baghdad and damascus to restart the 850-kilometer line, bringing this historic project back to the policy agenda after decades of dormancy. The discussions come amid rapid global shifts in energy geopolitics, particularly following the Ukraine war, which redrew the map of energy routes toward the Mediterranean.

Iraqi Prime Minister’s financial adviser Mazhar Muhammad Saleh stated earlier that reviving the pipeline represents a strategic choice, giving Iraq greater flexibility in marketing its oil and enhancing its energy security. In Iraq, the proposal fits into a broader vision to diversify export routes and expand energy infrastructure to ensure flexibility amid volatile global demand. In Syria, meanwhile, the renewed discussion signals a potential revival of its geographic role as a bridge between the region’s energy sources and Mediterranean ports—a role that for decades was central to its economic and political standing in the Middle East. A study by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, titled “Sustaining Momentum in Syria’s Energy Sector,” noted that the latest Baghdad–Damascus agreement to study the pipeline’s reactivation reflects a pragmatic approach to energy cooperation.

However, it also warned of legal obstacles and the lack of transparency in Syria’s oil contracts, stressing the need for institutional reforms to ensure accountability and curb corruption in future energy projects. ⸻ Why Is the Pipeline Being Revisited Now? The renewed discussion of the Kirkuk–Baniyas line stems from economic and geopolitical developments that reopened the file after decades of neglect. The entire region is undergoing an energy realignment, as producers seek to diversify their export routes and reduce dependency on any single corridor. Baghdad is thus reconsidering its historical paths to the Mediterranean—not as replacements, but…