Turkish Energy Expert Challenges Trump’s Claim That Syrian Pipelines Could Replace the Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump says the Strait of Hormuz will matter less in the future because new pipelines and alternative routes are being built across the Middle East. A Turkish energy expert, however, challenged that claim in the Republika report.

“Pipelines are being built now. The route through Syria, which is extraordinary, is being built and is actually already open. People are carrying oil by truck through Syria, large trucks carrying oil,” Trump told reporters on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. He said alternatives to Hormuz were being developed so oil would no longer need to pass through the strait.

Trump later posted an image on Truth Social showing that about 18 million barrels of oil per day currently move through the waterway. That figure is down from roughly 20 million barrels before the conflict with Iran began. Trump said on Aug. 18 that the strait was open to shipping, although a naval blockade against Iran remained in place.

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Pipelines are being built now. The route through Syria, which is extraordinary, is being built and is actually already open. People are carrying oil by truck through Syria, large trucks carrying oil.

The Strait of Hormuz continues to serve as a crucial corridor for global energy trade. Before the escalation, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through it. Regional tensions have since sharply reduced traffic.

In recent days, only a handful of ships have crossed. Large oil tankers and gas carriers have nearly stopped using the route, underscoring the gap between the strait’s current disruption and Trump’s claim that new land routes can make it less necessary.

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Some alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz are being made. The Strait of Hormuz is not like it used to be. They will eventually have a Strait of Hormuz that is not as necessary.