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Syria Says will Restore Iraq Oil Pipeline Link within Three Years

A worker walks at the Rumaila oil field in Basra, Iraq (Reuters file photo)
A worker walks at the Rumaila oil field in Basra, Iraq (Reuters file photo)
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Syria Says will Restore Iraq Oil Pipeline Link within Three Years

A worker walks at the Rumaila oil field in Basra, Iraq (Reuters file photo)
A worker walks at the Rumaila oil field in Basra, Iraq (Reuters file photo)

Syria and Iraq are finalizing negotiations on a contract to restore a key oil pipeline between the countries, a Syrian official said on Tuesday, laying out a timeline of around three years to complete the work.

Last month, Damascus signed a memorandum of understanding with Baghdad to revive the Haditha-Banias pipeline for transporting oil from Iraq to Syria's coast, linking Iraqi production to export markets in the Mediterranean and beyond.

A consortium of three companies including Chevron are set to carry out the project.

The US State Department last month welcomed the plan, calling it "of bilateral and regional strategic significance".

On Tuesday, Syrian Petroleum Company CEO Youssef Qablawi told a press conference at the Rmeilan oil field in the country's northeast that "negotiations have begun to finalise the contract".

He expressed hope that the talks would be completed within three months, followed by engineering studies, procurement and restoration work, expected to take "three years at most".

Syrian state news agency SANA said the pipeline, vital for Iraqi oil exports via the Mediterranean, dates to 1952 but went out of service in 2003 after being damaged during the US invasion of Iraq.

Qablawi hailed "a vital project" for Syria, putting the pipeline's capacity at "between 1.5 million and 2 million barrels a day" and saying the project would generate significant revenues.

The prospect of a pipeline link to the Mediterranean via Syria has gained new urgency with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz -- a vital maritime route for Gulf oil and gas exports -- as a result of the Middle East war.

The closure of Hormuz has hit Iraqi oil exports hard, and in April Baghdad said it began shipping crude through Syria by truck to circumvent the strait.

Syria's new authorities, who ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, have been seeking to reboot the country's economy and revive its infrastructure and institutions after more than a decade of war.

Damascus now controls all the country's oil and gas fields, after taking over areas previously under Kurdish control in the north and northeast earlier this year, including Rmeilan.

Texas-based firm HKN Energy is operating the fields in the northeast under a contract signed with Damascus.

At Rmeilan, the company's president, Mark Rollins, said Tuesday that "this is one of Syria's most important oil fields", adding: "Our team has been here on the ground for about two months."

Qablawi said HKN Energy was in charge of repairing existing wells and drilling new ones.

Syria aims to produce one million barrels of oil per day by 2030 and is seeking to broaden international cooperation on exploration and production.

Qablawi said Syria's own oil production was currently between 100,000 and 110,000 barrels a day, but was projected to reach 250,000 by the end of next year.

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Arab World

Berri Reins In Hezbollah Campaign against Lebanese Prime Minister

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam inspects the Nabatieh Gendarmerie unit last Friday (National News Agency) 
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam inspects the Nabatieh Gendarmerie unit last Friday (National News Agency) 
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Berri Reins In Hezbollah Campaign against Lebanese Prime Minister

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam inspects the Nabatieh Gendarmerie unit last Friday (National News Agency) 
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam inspects the Nabatieh Gendarmerie unit last Friday (National News Agency) 

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has moved to rein in political attacks by his ally Hezbollah against Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, with sources close to Berri telling Asharq Al-Awsat that he pushed for a de-escalation between Salam and a large segment of residents in southern Lebanon.

The shift was reflected in Salam’s visit to Nabatieh on Friday and reinforced in a Sunday interview on NBN, a channel affiliated with Berri’s Amal Movement. Salam reiterated the government’s position on Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and its commitment to restoring the state’s role and activating its institutions there.

Salam’s meetings Monday offered further signs of a drive to strengthen the state’s presence in the south. He met Berri to discuss political and field developments, pressing social and economic conditions, the outcome of his US visits and his Nabatieh tour and projects launched there, the speaker’s office said.

At the Grand Serail, Salam met Head of Council for the South Hashem Haidar, who briefed him on the council’s work and projects announced during the Nabatieh visit and steps taken to begin them.

Positive signs

Friday’s trip was Salam’s third visit to the south in three months. It was notably coordinated, with Amal MP Hani Qobeissi welcoming him alongside Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, himself from Nabatieh, and Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar. Municipal leaders from Nabatieh-area villages aligned with Hezbollah also joined the reception.

Although Hezbollah’s political representatives were absent, the group issued no statement criticizing the visit or Salam, unlike on previous occasions — a sign of the de-escalation promoted by Berri.

Sources following the visit noted that the tour and meetings “repaired a large part of the relationship between Salam and the people of the region.” They said Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad, the party’s representative in Nabatieh, was absent because he does not attend social occasions for security reasons. Hezbollah-aligned municipalities took part, while opposition to the visit appeared marginal.

In another sign of de-escalation, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said Monday the group supported strengthening the state’s role in the south and having it assume full responsibility, “but that begins with expelling the occupation, stopping the aggression and ending this bulldozing operations and destruction in our villages.”

He urged the state to match words with actions, backed development initiatives in the south and called for the disbursement of a $250 million World Bank loan, part of which is allocated to the region, as well as increased government spending there in the 2027 budget.

Berri consistent with his demands

Unlike Hezbollah, which has attacked Salam in recent months, communication between the prime minister and Berri has continued. Berri has pressed for activating state institutions in the south, securing stability and the ceasefire, enabling residents to return to their villages and providing services to bolster their steadfastness, despite opposing direct negotiations with Israel and having earlier declared the “framework agreement” defunct.

Amal sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Berri was consistent with his demand for state institutions to be present in the south. Salam’s visit, they said, confirmed the executive authority’s intention to strengthen that presence, making it natural for Amal and its Development and Liberation bloc to “meet it halfway.”

The sources underlined that the visit “soothed the wounds of southerners” and opened the door to a stronger state presence. They also pointed to Salam’s acknowledgment that resources were limited and reconstruction required international support because Lebanon could not undertake it alone.

‘No punishment of any community’

In Sunday’s NBN interview, Salam said: “The state cannot remain in a state of waiting. We must go to the south and to all regions and assume our responsibilities.”

He reiterated the need to stop Israeli attacks, consolidate the ceasefire, secure Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory and work for the release of prisoners.

“When I return for a fourth time to Nabatieh and Tyre, I want to see with my own eyes that water and electricity have been restored, that the contracts we launched are actually being implemented, that schools are being repaired, and that our people are returning and feel safe,” Salam added.

“If I wanted to punish a particular community, I would not personally be following these operations and the response to demands every day.”

Salam stressed that dialogue with all sides remained open, adding that agreed measures now had to be implemented and each side must honor its commitments.

Addressing residents of the south, he said: “You are not alone. The state is with you, beside you and at your service,” citing the presence of security agencies, institutions and services in Nabatieh.

Arab World

Lebanon, Britain to Hold Joint Military Exercise Starting Tuesday

A Lebanese flag flies as buildings lie in ruins in Mansouri, as seen from Henniye, Lebanon, September 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A Lebanese flag flies as buildings lie in ruins in Mansouri, as seen from Henniye, Lebanon, September 29, 2026. (Reuters)
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Lebanon, Britain to Hold Joint Military Exercise Starting Tuesday

A Lebanese flag flies as buildings lie in ruins in Mansouri, as seen from Henniye, Lebanon, September 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A Lebanese flag flies as buildings lie in ruins in Mansouri, as seen from Henniye, Lebanon, September 29, 2026. (Reuters)

Lebanon's army will hold exercises with the British military this month, both sides said on Monday, with the drills also to involve personnel and representatives from countries including the United States and France.

Britain has been a key supporter of the cash-strapped Lebanese army and has provided millions of dollars in assistance over the years, including helping train Lebanese soldiers to secure the country's land borders.

The Lebanese army said that the joint "Pegasus Cedar 2026" exercise would begin on Tuesday and aimed to "bolster the capabilities of military units and raise the level of coordination between the Lebanese army and friendly armies".

It said the exercise would include "training on reconnaissance, raids and combat in built-up areas", among other activities.

A British embassy statement said British soldiers based in Cyprus would "join their Lebanese counterparts in the Air Assault Regiment in a landmark military exercise aimed at strengthening bilateral defense ties and enhancing operational readiness".

"Personnel from the armies of the United States and Italy will also take part, with representatives from the armies of France, Cyprus, Qatar, and Jordan joining as observers," it added.

The exercise, to be held over three weeks, builds on a previous UK-Lebanon military training exercise held in September 2023, the embassy statement added.

Lebanese authorities have called for increased support for the country's under-resourced army, which counts some 80,000 personnel and depends heavily on foreign aid.

The military faces enormous challenges in completing its deployment to south Lebanon under a framework agreement reached in June between Israel and Lebanon that involves the disarmament of the Hezbollah group and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Hezbollah drew the country into the Middle East war in March by attacking Israel, which responded with massive airstrikes and a ground invasion.

While violence has dropped since June, Israel still carries out attacks and demolitions, and its troops are occupying a self-declared "security zone" running around 10 kilometers (six miles) inside Lebanon along the border.

The fighting followed another conflict that erupted in 2023 that led to an all-out war the following year.

Last month in Paris, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and Jordan's King Abdullah II, and discussed international support for the country's military.

Arab World

UN Chief Calls for Gaza Ceasefire Ahead of Oct 7 Anniversary

A photograph shows destruction at the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with an Israeli flag fluttering in the background, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph shows destruction at the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with an Israeli flag fluttering in the background, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)
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UN Chief Calls for Gaza Ceasefire Ahead of Oct 7 Anniversary

A photograph shows destruction at the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with an Israeli flag fluttering in the background, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph shows destruction at the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with an Israeli flag fluttering in the background, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza ahead of the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

"It is time for the ceasefire to become permanent. It is time to allow humanitarian assistance at scale. And it is time to respect international law," Guterres said in a statement, calling for a "political path to lasting peace across the whole region."

"Let this anniversary mark not only another year of mourning, but also a renewed determination to build a different future: one in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security, with their rights, dignity, and aspirations fulfilled," Guterres said.

The UN chief acknowledged Israel's casualties in the statement, calling the Hamas attack "abhorrent" for "killing more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals" and the hostage-taking of another 251 people.

Guterres also said Palestinians in Gaza have faced a "massive loss of life, displacement and destruction," without specifying their death toll.

"Their suffering, too, demands an end, now," Guterres said.

Israel's years-long military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 74,200 people according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which is under Hamas' authority and whose figures are deemed reliable by the UN.

Guterres acknowledged that a brief ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump in October 2025, "brought some relief. But it has yet to deliver security, adequate humanitarian assistance or a credible path to recovery and peace."

Israel, which still controls most of Gaza, refuses to withdraw its soldiers until Hamas' disarmament has been verified.

Hamas, for its part, has advocated for gradual disarmament rather than immediate and unilateral surrender of its arsenal.

Since the 2023 attacks, Israel has waged military attacks on several fronts, notably invading southern Lebanon to confront Hezbollah, the movement backed by Tehran, and launching war against Iran in late February alongside the United States.