Pakistan, July 19 -- Iraq is studying the construction of a strategic oil pipeline linking its southern oil fields with Turkiye and Syria as part of a long-term plan to diversify crude export routes and reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz. The proposed project aims to strengthen Iraq's energy security while creating alternative routes for exporting oil to international markets.

Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair said the government is conducting a feasibility study for a pipeline that would extend from Basra to Kirkuk before continuing to Turkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. In addition, authorities are examining the possibility of adding a branch to the Syrian coastal city of Baniyas, which hosts a major refinery and expor...