U.S. Middle East Policy

Trump Backs Syria Pipeline Over Israel Route

The U.S. president's endorsement of an Iraq-Syria oil pipeline appears to compete with the India-Israel-EU rail corridor Washington previously championed

Gila Isaacson

SEP 3, 2026 16:22

2 min read

President Donald Trump recently posted on social media celebrating the prospect of an oil pipeline running through Iraq and Syria, which he suggested could serve as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.

However, Trump's enthusiastic sharing of an article about this potential commercial corridor may signal a troubling shift in White House energy policy and regional priorities. It raises questions about America's commitment to infrastructure projects that directly benefit Israel and its regional partners.

The proposed pipeline, being advanced by Syrian authorities in partnership with American oil giant Chevron and already endorsed by President Trump, would run from Basra in eastern Iraq to the city of Baniyas on Syria's Mediterranean coast.

The Syria route would directly compete with the so-called "Peace Railway", a corridor promoted by the United States designed to connect India, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia through Israel to the European Union.

But even if this represents a separate project rather than an outright replacement of the planned rail corridor, it may indicate the administration is turning toward a different regional policy. Trump may view the Peace Railway as a 'dead letter', given Saudi Arabia's firm refusal to allow any route passing through Israel unless a Palestinian state is established first.

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