The Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, has proposed building a new oil pipeline linking Iraq’s southern oil fields in Basra to Türkiye’s Mediterranean oil terminal in Ceyhan, suggesting it could serve as a strategic alternative to the vulnerable Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, Birol said the proposed Basra–Ceyhan pipeline could become a major project benefiting both Iraq and Türkiye while strengthening energy security for Europe.

“I believe a Basra–Ceyhan pipeline could be extremely attractive and a very important project for both Iraq and Türkiye, as well as for regional supply security, especially from Europe’s perspective,” Birol said.

He added that financing such a project should be achievable and that current circumstances make the proposal timely.

“Now is exactly the right time,” he noted.

Birol also warned about the fragility of the Strait of Hormuz as a global energy corridor. “The vase has been broken once, and it is very difficult to fix,” he said, referring to the vulnerability of the strategic waterway.

According to Birol, the proposed pipeline would not only provide Iraq with a safer export route but also offer Türkiye a major opportunity as a regional energy hub while helping Europe diversify its oil supply routes.

Recent tensions and conflict involving Iran have disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes. The disruptions have contributed to rising global prices for gasoline, fertilizer, and other essential commodities.

Iraq and Türkiye already operate the Kirkuk–Ceyhan Pipeline, a major oil export corridor that transports crude from northern Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The pipeline began operations in 1976 and has long played a strategic role in regional energy trade.

In recent years, Iraq has been exploring ways to rehabilitate and expand its export infrastructure, including proposals to build a new pipeline from Basra to Ceyhan. Officials say such a route would provide a safer alternative to the Strait of Hormuz while strengthening Europe’s long-term energy security.

Birol emphasized that the proposed pipeline should be viewed as a strategic project with broad geopolitical and economic importance for the region.