US President Donald Trump has welcomed the reports, suggesting that Syria has presented itself as a potential alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump has not only shared a report showing the growing role of Syria as a Middle Eastern hub but also called this development “great.”
In a Truth social post, Trump wrote, “This is GREAT! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP” before highlighting the development, “Syria is pitching itself as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.”
Syria emerging as an unexpected winner
This major development comes as the US and Iran have been involved in months-long conflict marked by persistent closure of Strait of Hormuz disrupting the global trade and energy at massive scale.
Here comes the growing role of Syria as President Ahmed al-Sharaa is seeking to leverage its location and Mediterranean access to develop an overland route connecting the Gulf region with Europe.
Through this location, oil tankers are already travelling from southern Iraq towards Syria’s Mediterranean port of Baniyas, as reported by the Washington Post.
Concurrently, plans led by energy giants like Chevron and TotalEnergies, backed by US and French support, involve building a multi-billion dollar, 1,000-mile pipeline from Basra to Baniyas capable of carrying around 2 million bpd.
Despite the delay, Trump’s special envoy, Tom Barrack, has previously suggested the project could ultimately render the Strait of Hormuz “an after thought.”
Could Syria really replace Hormuz?
The Strait of Hormuz typically carries upwards of 20 million barrels of oil per day. But the aforementioned pipeline with extensive reconstruction and billions of dollars in investments could transport roughly 2-3 million bpd, about 10-15 percent of Hormuz’s volume.
