Research Paper

Future Energy Landscape - Global Energy Agenda - Why Iraq’s Alternative Oil Export Routes Do Not Function

Author	Akiko Yoshioka
Summary	Since late February 2026, the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been closed. Iraq is one of the countries most severely affected by this situation. The bulk of Iraq’s oil exports had depended on crude produced in the southern oil fields and exported via the Gulf. As a result ...
Outline	Since late February 2026, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sharply reduced Iraq’s oil exports, which had depended heavily on southern crude shipped through the Gulf. Although Iraq has alternative routes or pipeline projects toward Turkey, Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, none can replace southern exports in the short term. Existing constraints include limited domestic transport capacity, aging infrastructure, the legacy of past security disruptions, fiscal pressures, and political relations with transit or neighboring states. Iraq’s case shows that energy security depends not only on practical constraints, but also on the political conditions required to keep infrastructure operating over time.
Keyword	Sakiyomi, Strait of Hormuz, Iraq, oil pipeline
Media	ＨＰ (6/8/2026)
URL	https://test-eneken.mvmt.jp/en/sakiyomi_energy_issues.html
Report PDF	https://test-eneken.mvmt.jp/data/13299.pdf