Strait of Hormuz oil crisis: An opportunity for Syria?

Article excerpt

Syria's port of Baniyas is emerging as an unexpected beneficiary of escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. After Iran effectively closed the strategic waterway, crude oil from the UAE and Iraq has begun flowing overland to the Mediterranean terminal, positioning Syria as an alternative energy corridor. The development could inject badly needed capital into a country ravaged by 14 years of civil war. But the real question lingers: whether Syria can leverage this temporary crisis into a lasting role in global energy infrastructure once Gulf tensions subside.