Syria positions itself as alternative to Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump has described Syria’s efforts to position itself as an alternative transit route to the Strait of Hormuz as ‘wonderful.’ In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared a Washington Post investigation regarding Damascus’s strategy to leverage the instability in the Strait of Hormuz to its advantage.

Under the leadership of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria is seeking to utilize its Mediterranean location, specifically the port of Baniyas, to serve as a relatively stable land corridor for energy and goods. This move follows the removal of Bashar al-Assad more than 18 months ago and coincides with the potential lifting of international sanctions.

Efforts to establish this corridor are already underway, with trucks moving between oil refineries in southern Iraq and the Syrian port of Baniyas as a trial measure by Iraqi exporters. Additionally, the Trump administration has expressed support for a new pipeline project led by Chevron, which aims to transport two million barrels of crude oil per day from Basra, Iraq, to Baniyas.