Washington, Sept. 4 (SANA) U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said there are many alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, pointing to trucks transporting oil through Syria, amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, NBC News reported.
“Many oil pipelines are being built in the Middle East,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
The remarks follow Trump’s enthusiastic response on Thursday to a Washington Post report highlighting Syria’s growing role as an alternative energy and trade corridor in the region, as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
The Washington Post report indicated that about 5,000 oil-laden trucks are transiting daily from southern Iraq through Syrian territory toward the Mediterranean port of Baniyas. The shipments began in April as a limited trial by Iraqi oil exporters seeking a route to bypass the Strait of Hormuz before expanding into a large-scale operation.
In July, the Trump administration expressed support for a Chevron-led pipeline project designed to transport up to 2 million barrels of crude oil per day from Basra in southern Iraq to Baniyas. The proposed pipeline would extend about 1,000 miles and cost an estimated $5.7 billion, with construction expected to take at least two and a half years.
CNN has previously highlighted routes through Syria as alternative options for Gulf states to transport goods and re-export them, noting that Syria and Jordan are emerging as potential corridors as regional powers seek more diverse trade routes away from the Strait of Hormuz.
Kh.A / H.H
