IEA Chief Proposes Genius Alternative to Bypass Strait of Hormuz
The IEA's Fatih Birol warns the Strait of Hormuz is a "broken vase" and calls for a new Basra-Ceyhan pipeline to secure global oil flows. As Iran shuts the Strait again, the IEA chief argues that an overland route through Iraq and Turkey is now a "strategic necessity" to save Europe’s energy supply and stabilize the market.
The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has urged the construction of a new strategic oil pipeline linking Iraq’s massive southern Basra oil fields directly to Turkey’s Mediterranean terminal in Ceyhan, aiming to reduce global reliance on the volatile Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with Turkish daily Hürriyet published on Sunday, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol described the project as “extremely attractive and a very important project for both Iraq and Türkiye, as well as for regional supply security, especially from Europe’s perspective.”
“Now is exactly the right time,” Birol added, stating that financing challenges could be overcome and that a political agreement between Baghdad and Ankara is achievable.
The proposal comes amid renewed instability in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint through which roughly 20% of global oil trade and about 90% of Iraq’s exports from Basra currently flows by tanker. Recent disruptions, including vessel traffic restrictions, have highlighted the waterway’s vulnerability, with Birol likening the damage to “a vase that, once broken, is very difficult to fix.”
A Basra-Ceyhan pipeline would provide a secure overland alternative, allowing Iraqi crude to reach the Mediterranean without navigating the Persian Gulf and the Hormuz Strait.
Strategic Benefits
Birol framed the pipeline not merely as an infrastructure project but as a strategic necessity for Iraq and a major opportunity for Türkiye and Europe.
Turkey has previously floated ideas to extend energy links southward from the existing northern pipeline network. The new Basra-focused route would be a far more ambitious undertaking, potentially stretching over 1,000 km with initial capacity in the hundreds of thousands of barrels per day.
While no formal agreements or detailed engineering plans have been announced, Birol’s endorsement as the IEA’s top official lends significant international weight to the idea. He noted that European financial and political support could help move the project forward.
The timing aligns with broader efforts to diversify energy corridors in the region, including Türkiye’s “Development Road” initiative.
The proposal remains at an early stage and would require high-level political commitment, substantial investment, and security assurances along the route.
For now, Birol’s comments signal growing momentum behind land-based alternatives to vulnerable maritime routes in the Middle East.