Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Damascus

Iraq and Syria on Thursday reopened the Al-Waleed border crossing, restoring a key trade route closed since 2014 during the war against ISIS.

The crossing, one of four official border points between Iraq and Syria, links Iraq’s al-Anbar province with Syria’s Homs via the Al-Tanf area. Fuel tankers entered Syria within the first hours of the reopening, carrying Iraqi fuel oil for export toward the Baniyas refinery.

Head of Iraq’s Border Ports Commission, Major General Omar Adnan Al-Waeli, inaugurated the crossing during a field visit, describing the move as part of the government’s plan to rehabilitate border crossings and upgrade them to higher technical and administrative standards, aiming to ensure smooth operations and accommodate trade and passenger traffic.

From the Syrian side, head of the General Authority for Land and Sea Ports, Qutaiba Ahmed Badawi, said officials are working to accelerate the reopening of the Al-Yarubiyah/Rabia crossing to expand economic cooperation, confirming readiness to reopen it on May 1.

On Tuesday, Iraq began oil exports through Al-Waleed crossing. Moayad Al-Dulaimi, spokesperson for al-Anbar authorities, told Shafaq News that authorities authorized 101 tanker trucks to pass, carrying a total of 3.2 million liters of crude oil.

Iraqi lawmaker Ali Shaddad, in an interview with our agency, previously said authorities are developing alternative routes as regional tensions disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and reduce output from southern fields, with contingency plans aimed at maintaining export flows despite logistical and security constraints.

Read more: Hormuz lockdown: Iraq’s economic lifeline under threat