US urges Iraq to resume oil exports via Turkish pipeline

WASHINGTON

The United States has called on the Iraqi government to finalize an agreement with international oil companies to resume crude exports through the Iraq-Türkiye Pipeline (ITP), which has been halted for nearly a year.

“We are urging the Iraqi government to reach an agreement...with the international oil companies to resume oil exports through the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline as soon as possible, and to honor the existing contracts with U.S. companies,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters during a daily press briefing on March 19.

“Reopening the ITP ensures Iraqi oil can reach global, especially European, markets. Iraq benefits from the stability of resilient supply chains as we all do,” Bruce added.

Oil flow from Iraq to Ceyhan Port ceased on March 25, 2023, following an arbitration ruling by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) concerning oil exports between Türkiye and Iraq.

During a phone call on Feb. 26, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani agreed to accelerate efforts to reopen the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline.

Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani also expressed optimism on the same day, stating that crude exports via Ceyhan Port would soon resume.