The shipment marks a strategic reversal for the energy corridor, which had previously only moved Iraqi fuel oil west to the Mediterranean. Iraq must continue trucking fuel oil out of Basra to Syria—with Baniyas unloading up to 900 trucks a day in June—to prevent refinery tanks from filling and forcing gasoline production cuts. These moves follow a disruption in shipments from Iran, on which Iraq has historically relied, caused by the war and the maritime closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Iraq Imports US and Qatar Gasoline to Bypass Hormuz Shipping Closure
Commodities23 days ago
Baghdad is diversifying its fuel supply chain by investing in overland transport options to ensure energy security during regional maritime conflicts. A cargo of 32,800 metric tons of gasoline supplied by Qatar's UCC Holding, including at least one shipment from Houston, Texas, has begun moving via 77 tanker trucks from Syria's Baniyas terminal to the Iraqi border. Syrian Petroleum Company official Tareq Shallash confirmed the gasoline was not produced in Syria or drawn from domestic reserves, and Iraq plans to maintain these routes even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens.
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