With the Strait of Hormuz effectively sealed off by the war between the United States and Iran, the ports of Syria on the Mediterranean are emerging as a new alternative route.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 18th (local time) that Syria, which has major ports on the Mediterranean and shares borders with Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Trkiye, is emerging as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. It also noted that Syria has not become involved in the U.S.-Iran war, a factor that has created favorable conditions for it to function as an alternative route.

Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have already begun transporting crude oil and other goods overland in Syria to be loaded onto ships. At the end of March, Iraq sent tanker trucks into Syria, marking the full-scale use of the ports. On some days, more than 400 tanker trucks move from Iraq into Syria, and each vehicle is said to carry up to 10,500 gallons of crude. Last month, 200 vehicles that departed from the UAE reached the Port of Latakia in Syria via an overland route through Jordan and then moved on to Europe.

Majen Aloushi, director for external relations at the Syrian Border Customs Authority, said, “Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, almost every country has requested access to use Syrian ports,” and added, “They are preparing alternatives in case the crisis is prolonged.”

Experts note that, for Syria to function in earnest as a logistics hub, restoring power and water infrastructure destroyed over the past 14 years of civil war should come first. The al-Tanf border crossing, the main gateway on the overland route that carries crude from Iraq to Syria, has been shut for years; fully rebuilding it is expected to take at least several months and cost an estimated $25 million (about 37.7 billion KRW).

For Syria, which needs vast resources for economic recovery and the normalization of state functions, such demand could present an opportunity. According to a World Bank report last year, rebuilding Syria is estimated to cost more than $200 billion (about 301.76 trillion KRW).

In response, the Syrian Port Authority quickly dispatched mobile trailer units, computers, border control and passport teams, and mobile housing to move ahead with reopening the ports. Syria is currently imposing customs clearance and stevedoring fees at the ports.

The leadership in Syria is highlighting strategic advantages as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. Acting President Ahmed Al-Shara attended a European Union (EU) summit held in Cyprus last month, stating that Syria is located where it can serve as a safe and strategic corridor linking Central Asia and the Gulf to Europe.

Safwan Ahmad, public relations director at the state-owned Syrian Oil Company, told the NYT, “Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens, countries need to secure routes that can substitute for it,” adding, “Syria will become a gateway to the sea.” Ahmad also said that several overseas companies are showing interest in restoring the pipeline that once connected Baniyas in Syria and Kirkuk in northern Iraq. The pipeline is known to have been damaged during the Syrian civil war.