Amid US President Donald Trump’s statement about Ankara’s purchase of Russian oil, the State Department welcomed the announcement of the reopening of the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.
The State Department said the Iraqi government’s agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KUR) and international companies was brokered with the assistance of the United States. Washington expects it will bring tangible benefits to both Americans and Iraqis.
“This agreement will strengthen the mutually beneficial economic partnership between the United States and Iraq, foster a more stable investment environment for U.S. companies throughout Iraq, improve regional energy security, and strengthen Iraqi sovereignty,” the statement said.
Reuters recently reported, citing two oil industry officials, that Iraq’s federal government and Kurdish regional government reached an agreement with oil companies on 22 September to resume crude oil exports via Turkey. This would resume exports of about 230,000 barrels per day from Iraqi Kurdistan, which have been suspended since March 2023.
The preliminary plan calls for Kurdistan to commit to supplying at least 230,000 bpd to Iraq’s state-owned SOMO, while retaining an additional 50,000 bpd for local use, according to Iraqi officials with knowledge of the deal.
Under the new agreement, an independent trader will handle sales from Turkey’s Ceyhan port using SOMO’s official prices.
The State Department’s announcement came amid a statement by US President Donald Trump, who said at the White House before meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he would like Ankara to stop buying any oil from Russia while Moscow continues its war against Ukraine.