Source: Resumption of Iraqi oil exports to Syria hinges on new agreement

Shafaq News/ Resuming Iraq's oil exports to Syria requires a "new agreement" between the two governments, a source from Iraq's Ministry of Oil said on Saturday.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, "The Ministry of Oil suspended crude oil exports to Syria after recent developments and the fall of the Al-Assad regime,” adding, "Claims of an agreement between the Iraqi government and the new Syrian administration to resume oil exports are untrue."

Earlier reports, citing an Iraqi political source, suggested that Baghdad's government planned to resume crude oil exports to Syria within days, utilizing a “more organized and precise mechanism” than previous arrangements. “Exporting oil between countries requires a formal, signed agreement between their governments,” he affirmed.

Notably, Iraq previously supplied Damascus with 33,000 barrels of crude oil daily and 120,000 tons of fuel oil monthly. Exports halted after Bashar al-Assad's ousting, driven by political and security shifts in Syria and Baghdad's intent to reassess oil agreements.

The suspension of Iraqi oil exports to Syria has exacerbated the fuel crisis within the country, amid the increasing control of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and US forces over Syria's oil fields.

Currently, Syria imports around 5 million barrels of oil monthly, equivalent to more than 160,000 barrels daily, compared to its pre-2011 production of 380,000 barrels, of which approximately 150,000 were exported daily.