Basra-Ceyhan oil pipeline could become alternative to Hormuz - IEA Head

Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), has described the Basra-Ceyhan oil pipeline project from Iraq to Türkiye as a potential alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, according to Hürriyet.

Birol noted that even after the war against Iran ends, the Middle East will not be the same, and demand for alternative energy routes will increase.

"People will start looking for alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz. I think the Basra-Ceyhan oil pipeline could become an extremely attractive project of paramount importance for Iraq, Turkey, regional energy security, and especially for Europe",

Fatih Birol said.

Birol noted that Iraq's Basra oil field is one of the largest in the world. The pipeline would allow oil exports from southern Iraq to bypass the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, delivering crude to Türkiye's Mediterranean oil hub at Ceyhan. The pipeline's capacity could reach up to 1.5 million barrels per day.

The Basra-Ceyhan pipeline project is being considered as part of the broader "Development Path" logistics initiative between Iraq and Türkiye.