Washington supports the reactivation of the Kirkuk-Banias oil pipeline.

A U.S. State Department official announced Wednesday that Washington supports Iraqi and Syrian efforts to restart the crude oil pipeline between the two countries, in a move aimed at reducing the impact of disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

The official, according to Reuters, said the United States expects American companies to play a role in accelerating the rehabilitation of the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline, most of which has been damaged since the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

He explained that the pipeline, once restarted, will extend from the oil fields in Kirkuk province to the western coast of Syria, making it one of the projects through which the countries of the region seek to diversify oil export routes and reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.

The official noted that this project is part of a series of efforts by Middle Eastern oil producers to reduce their dependence on the strait, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies passed before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.

He added that the United States had reimposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after attacks targeted ships within it, holding Iran responsible for those attacks.

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Chevron might contribute to rebuilding the pipeline.

Shafaq.com