The US is promoting negotiations on a pipeline that would transport oil from Iraq to Syria, a route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz and reduces Iran's future influence on global energy supplies, reports UNN citing Bloomberg.
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Thomas Barrack, the US special envoy for Syria and Iraq, has convened talks with officials from both countries, as well as with companies including Chevron Corp., on restoring a long-dormant pipeline from Iraq to Syria's western coast, sources familiar with the matter say.
Although several routes for new connections are being considered, the talks are focused on restoring the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline, which has been closed for more than two decades, the sources said.
A State Department official confirmed that the US government supports the efforts of Iraq and Syria to improve trade routes by restoring the pipeline between the two countries and expects US companies to play a role in its construction.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House and said that "massive" new oil partnerships would be announced this or next week.