U.S. President Donald Trump called “great” an article arguing that Syria could serve as an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump shared the analysis published in The Washington Post on his social media account. The article argued that the Syrian government was positioning the country as a relatively stable land corridor for transporting energy resources and goods, as well as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
Assessment of Syria as a regional hub
The analysis argued that disruptions to maritime shipping in the Strait of Hormuz could create an opportunity for the government in Damascus. It also said that Syria aimed to become a central transportation and energy hub in the Middle East.
These assessments were linked to disruptions in maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz caused by U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Iraq-Syria oil pipeline project
The article also covered the project to rebuild the oil pipeline between Iraq and Syria. Iraq and Syria signed an agreement in Washington on July 18 providing for the pipeline’s reconstruction and return to operation.
Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Ankara and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, said in a speech at the ceremony that agreements on the oil pipeline would create the conditions for a process that could push the Strait of Hormuz into the background in terms of energy supplies.