US Backs Iraq-Syria Oil Pipeline to Bypass Strait of Hormuz

The United States is supporting efforts to revive a crude oil pipeline between Iraq and Syria, according to a US official. The project is intended to create an alternative route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions in the Persian Gulf compromise oil flows. Tanker owners are reportedly weighing options at the US Gulf Coast amid the Hormuz tensions. The pipeline revival comes as US crude inventories fell by 1.7 million barrels and Iran tensions rattle markets.