Iraqi source denies decision to resume oil exports to Syria

A source in the Iraqi Ministry of Oil denied, on Saturday, the issuance of an official decision to resume exporting Iraqi oil to Syria.

Baghdad had stopped exporting oil to Syria after the fall of the Assad regime.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that Iraq's resumption of oil exports to Syria requires a new agreement between the governments of the two countries. The source added that "the Ministry of Oil stopped pumping crude oil to Syria after the recent events and the fall of the Assad regime, as it used to export about 33 thousand barrels per day."

He commented that "talk about the existence of an agreement between the Iraqi government and the new Syrian administration to resume oil exports is incorrect."

Earlier today, Saturday, Iraqi media sources quoted a political source in Baghdad as saying that the government had decided to resume exporting crude oil to Syria within days, according to a new mechanism that is more organized and accurate compared to what was previously in effect.

The media outlets that reported the news - "Al-Sumaria News" and "Erem News" - did not identify the identity of the Iraqi political source. But she also quoted her as saying that the decision came after receiving signals from the United States and Turkey confirming the importance of organizing the oil export file to Syria, as part of supporting the new Syrian administration in managing its affairs.