Iraq Receives US Gasoline Via Syria in New Energy Corridor
Shipments of gasoline that arrived in Syria have begun their overland journey to Iraq, establishing a two-way energy corridor through a route Baghdad previously used for fuel exports after shipping ceased through the Strait of Hormuz. Baghdad had commenced using the Syrian route following the Iranian war, which disrupted navigation through the Strait, and has declared its intention to continue utilizing these alternative routes via Syria even if traffic through the Strait of Hormuz returns to normal. Before the establishment of this two-way route, the transport of fuel oil from Iraq to Syrian ports was limited. Engineer Tareq Shalash, Vice President of the Syrian Petroleum Company for Refining and Chemical Industries, confirmed that the first shipment destined for Iraq, estimated at approximately 32,800 tons of gasoline, arrived aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker "Avanti." The cargo was unloaded into storage depots at Syria's Banyas refinery before being loaded onto trucks this week. Shalash added that 77 trucks have already departed Banyas heading towards the Iraqi border, emphasizing that loading operations are ongoing, and more shipments are expected. He stressed that this gasoline was not produced in Syria nor was it drawn from stocks allocated for the Syrian market. This operation is being executed under a transport contract between the Syrian Petroleum Company and Qatar-based "UCC Holding." Shalash clarified that UCC is both the supplier and the supervisor of the transport process. For his part, Iraqi Oil Ministry spokesperson Salim Al-Rakabi stated today, Friday, in response to a request for comment, that a contract had been signed between the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) and the Qatari company to supply Iraq with refined gasoline via Banyas port using overland tankers. Al-Rakabi noted that regular deliveries have already commenced. In a related context, shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group showed that another Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, "Gaita," loaded gasoline from the U.S. port of Houston before sailing to Banyas for unloading. In July, information indicated that Iraqi fuel oil had been transported overland to Banyas, then shipped by sea, reaching the United States for the first time. Shalash affirmed that the current transport contract is limited to gasoline, with the possibility of expanding the use of this route in the future to include other petroleum products, crude oil, or other commodities under subsequent agreements.
