Shafaq News/ On Sunday, the Iraqi Oil Ministry refuted claims of having contracts to supply crude oil to Syria, dismissing reports about the cessation of Iraqi crude oil exports to its neighboring country.
In an official statement, the ministry clarified, "The State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) confirms that there are no contracts with the Syrian side to supply them with crude oil. Consequently, there has been no cessation of crude oil exports to Syria." The ministry urged media outlets and interested parties to verify their information from official sources before publication.
A day earlier, a source within the Iraqi Oil Ministry informed Shafaq News that crude oil flows to Syria had been halted following the fall of Al-Assad regime. Prior to the cessation, exports included approximately 33,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and 120,000 tons of black oil monthly.
The source also denied recent claims of an agreement between Iraq and the newly formed Syrian administration to resume oil exports, stating, "The claim of such an agreement is not true. Exporting oil between countries requires an official, signed agreement."
Earlier reports citing an anonymous Iraqi political source suggested that the Baghdad government was considering resuming crude oil exports to Syria under a more structured framework compared to previous arrangements. However, these assertions were not corroborated by the ministry.
Iraq ceased crude oil exports to Syria following significant political and security shifts resulting from the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The decision was part of Baghdad's reassessment of oil agreements to align with the changing regional dynamics.
The suspension of Iraqi oil exports has reportedly exacerbated Syria's fuel crisis, as much of its oil fields remain under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and US forces. Syria currently imports about five million barrels of oil monthly—over 160,000 bpd—while domestic production has dropped from 380,000 bpd before 2011 to significantly lower levels, with only 150,000 barrels exported daily prior to the civil war.