Iraq Seeks Partnership With Saudi Arabia For Pipeline

Iraq Seeks Partnership With Saudi Arabia For Pipeline

 

Iraq is seeking to revive a long-idled oil export pipeline through Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea, providing an alternative route for crude shipments outside the Persian Gulf. The pipeline – historically known as the Iraq–Saudi Pipeline (IPSA) – has been inactive for decades, largely due to political tensions following the Gulf War and strained Iraq–Saudi relations.

The proposed route would allow Iraqi oil to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical and vulnerable energy chokepoints. Iraqi officials are exploring the project as part of a broader effort to diversify export infrastructure and reduce dependence on Gulf shipping lanes, particularly amid rising regional instability.

The move aligns with wider regional energy strategy trends, where Middle Eastern producers are seeking redundant export routes to mitigate disruption risks tied to conflict with Iran.

GhostofBasedPatrickHenry: This is one of those stories that is not just a positive sign of forthcoming Golden Age, it is the full-circle moment of a redemption arc for the Saudis and the Middle East.

The Saudis (the evil twin, at least) were involved in the funding and proliferation of Al Qaeda and later ISIS, which was born out of Salafi madras in [mainly] Saudi and other parts of the Middle East.

Obama used to call ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) ISIL (Islamic State in the Levant) because he thought it made him second smart.

ISIS was created to topple the Iraqi and Syrian governments. Now we are seeing a triumvirate form, where Iraq runs oil from the Persian Gulf (Basra, Iraq) to the Mediterranean via Syrian and Saudi Arabia.

All of this distracts from Israel’s attempt to become the region’s hegemony by suggesting that all oil be run to Israel instead of pipelines?

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmon has been widely accused of funding the rise of Syrian President Al Jolani, who is widely accused of being a terrorist due to these connections to Jolani and others.

It is also important to remember that this new Iraqi government (which was elected via popular vote in February) is aligned with both Shia Islam and Iran. We were told that this meant that the Middle East was about to plunged into this new sandbox. And yet, this government in Iraq is being used to execute these deals that are ultimately going to result in a public reconciliation between the Arabs and the Persians.

 

Trump says Israel and Lebanon to begin 10-day ceasefire within hours

Summary

• US President Donald Trump says the Israeli and Lebanese leaders have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, beginning at 17:00 EST (22:00 BST)

• Lebanon's Prime Minister Joseph Aoun has welcomed the agreement, while Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu says it presents a "historic" opportunity for peace

• Trump says Iran-backed Hezbollah - which has been fighting with Israel in Lebanon - is included in the ceasefire

• Netanyahu says Israeli troops will remain in a 10km-deep (6.2 mile) "security zone" in southern Lebanon - which goes against Hezbollah's demand for them to withdraw

• For Trump, a ceasefire in Lebanon removes a major hurdle to the broader peace talks with Iran, writes our North America editor

1. Trump says Iran has agreed not to have nuclear weaponspublished at 04:32

   04:32Breaking

   Donald Trump says that Iran has agreed to not have nuclear weapons for more than 20 years.

   "It's looking very good that we're going to make a deal with Iran and it's going to be a good deal, it's going to be a deal with no nuclear weapons...

   "We have a very powerful statement, beyond 20 years, that they will not have nuclear weapons," he says. "Let's be honest, there's no 20 year limit."

   We have not heard an immediate official response from Iran.

2. US and Iran very close to a deal, Trump sayspublished at 04:27

   04:27

   Image source,Reuters

   Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump says that the US and Iran are very close to a deal, with Tehran agreeing to nearly all of the US's demands.

   He adds that Iran is willing to "do things" today that they previously were not.

   We'll bring you more from the US president shortly.

Chance for 'historic' agreement, says Netanyahu - but troops to remain in parts of southern Lebanonpublished at 04:22

04:22Breaking

Image source,Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a ceasefire with Lebanon is an “opportunity to make a historic peace agreement”.

He says the disarmament of Hezbollah is one of the fundamental demands Israel will have in further talks with the Lebanese government.

Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon, he says, in a 10km-deep (6.2 mile) “security zone”, adding “we are there, and we are not leaving”.

He says this will allow Israeli forces to “block the danger of invasion” and prevent fire into Israeli communities across the border.

However, he says “there are still problems”, such as the missiles Hezbollah still possesses, which he says “will have to be dealt with” as part of the agreement.

He adds that US President Trump has told him that he is determined to dismantle “whatever is left” of Iran’s nuclear capability.

Live Reporting

Edited by Emily Atkinson and Rorey Bosotti, with reporting from BBC Persian and teams across the Middle East

1. Trump says Iran has agreed not to have nuclear weaponspublished at 04:32

   04:32Breaking

   Donald Trump says that Iran has agreed to not have nuclear weapons for more than 20 years.

   "It's looking very good that we're going to make a deal with Iran and it's going to be a good deal, it's going to be a deal with no nuclear weapons...

   "We have a very powerful statement, beyond 20 years, that they will not have nuclear weapons," he says. "Let's be honest, there's no 20 year limit."

   We have not heard an immediate official response from Iran.

2. US and Iran very close to a deal, Trump sayspublished at 04:27

   04:27

   Image source,Reuters

   Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump says that the US and Iran are very close to a deal, with Tehran agreeing to nearly all of the US's demands.

   He adds that Iran is willing to "do things" today that they previously were not.

   We'll bring you more from the US president shortly.

3. Chance for 'historic' agreement, says Netanyahu - but troops to remain in parts of southern Lebanonpublished at 04:22

   04:22Breaking

   Image source,Getty Images

   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a ceasefire with Lebanon is an “opportunity to make a historic peace agreement”.

   He says the disarmament of Hezbollah is one of the fundamental demands Israel will have in further talks with the Lebanese government.

   Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon, he says, in a 10km-deep (6.2 mile) “security zone”, adding “we are there, and we are not leaving”.

   He says this will allow Israeli forces to “block the danger of invasion” and prevent fire into Israeli communities across the border.

   However, he says “there are still problems”, such as the missiles Hezbollah still possesses, which he says “will have to be dealt with” as part of the agreement.

   He adds that US President Trump has told him that he is determined to dismantle “whatever is left” of Iran’s nuclear capability.

4. Police in Pakistan already preparing for unconfirmed US-Iran talkspublished at 03:57

   03:57

   Caroline Davis
   Pakistan correspondent

   Meanwhile, police in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad are already preparing for a visit by foreign delegations, although as yet no second round of talks has been confirmed.

   The city’s traffic police have announced that they will close all transport terminals in the city and neighbouring Rawalpindi for 10 days from 23:00 tonight until 26 April.

   Public transport from Rawalpindi and Islamabad to other districts will remain suspended. Islamabad Traffic Police have also banned heavy traffic from entering Islamabad from 18 April.

   Earlier today, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said they had no official announcement on a second round of talks.
5. 

   For Trump, a ceasefire in Lebanon ties into broader talks with Iranpublished at 03:45

   03:45

   Sarah Smith
   North America editor, in Washington

   The fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran was being imperilled by the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon. So it was important to President Trump to broker a ceasefire between these two nations before the fighting derailed his own efforts to secure a deal with Iran

   The announcement, which Trump said he hoped would achieve a lasting peace, came hours after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was urging Iran to choose its next steps wisely.

   There is less than a week left before the agreed pause in the fighting between Iran and the US runs out.

   President Trump has said that he thinks his war with Iran is close to being over and that he is confident a deal can be agreed - without offering any evidence for his upbeat assessment.

   A ceasefire in Lebanon offers some good news for him to celebrate and removes a major hurdle to the broader peace talks with Iran.