US, Iraq, and Syria Prepare Major Energy Deal Amid Middle East Tensions

Amid rising tensions in the Middle East and the looming threat over the Strait of Hormuz, the United States, Iraq and Syria are preparing a major energy deal. Media reports say the three countries could announce plans next week to restart a decades-old oil pipeline linking northern Iraq to Syria's Mediterranean coast. The project is aimed at reducing dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and creating alternative routes for oil exports. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is scheduled to visit the United States next week. He is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House. The proposed plan centers on the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline, which is about 800 kilometers long, from Iraq's northern city of Kirkuk to Syria's Mediterranean port of Baniyas. Its resumption would give Iraq direct access to international markets via the Mediterranean Sea and reduce its reliance on the US-Syrian route, said Tom Barak, Iraq's special envoy to the Gulf.