Shafaq News- Paris
France’s TotalEnergies on Wednesday warned that reliance on the Strait ofHormuz leaves energy supplies vulnerable to regional tensions, noting that Iraqcould connect its oil and gas output to global markets through Turkiye andSyria, alongside existing routes via Gulf states.
Speaking at an energy conference in Paris, Patrick Pouyanne, the company'schief executive, urged faster development of alternative export routes from theMiddle East, arguing that lessons should be drawn from the energy crisis of thepast three months.
"When you are in Iraq and you need to reach the sea, you can go downthrough Kuwait and Saudi Arabia," Pouyanne remarked.
He also recalled that Total discovered oil in Iraq in 1928 and built anIraq-Syria pipeline in six years, stressing that "if our predecessors didit 100 years ago, I believe we should be capable of doing it again today."
The Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20% of the world's oil, remainedlargely closed by Iran from Feb. 28 in response to the US-Israeli war,disrupting regional energy flows. Iraq, which channels about 95% of its crudeexports through the waterway, was among the countries most affected by thedisruption.
The strategic maritime gateway reopened after a US-Iran memorandum ofunderstanding (MoU) entered into force on June 18. Under the arrangement, thetwo sides established a direct communication channel for Hormuz to help ensurethe safe passage of commercial vessels during the 60-day implementation period.
: No exit but Hormuz: Iraq's economic vulnerability exposed
