Photo via iraqinews.com

Iraq, Syria deepen bilateral ties at first Al-Zaidi–Al-Sharaa meeting

The Iraqi PM and Syrian president discussed security coordination and economic cooperation, including energy exports, as Baghdad pivots away from disrupted Hormuz routes.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22, marking their first bilateral encounter. The meeting focused on strengthening political and security coordination, expanding economic and trade cooperation, and addressing shared regional concerns. The talks were welcomed by US Special Envoy Tom Barrack, who praised their efforts to weave "a tapestry of co-operation, stability, and shared prosperity." Both leaders maintain close relationships with the Trump administration. Energy cooperation anchors the emerging partnership. Since April, Iraq has routed crude oil overland through Syria to Baniyas port on the Mediterranean, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz after Iran-backed attacks disrupted shipping. On July 17, Baghdad and Damascus signed a memorandum to reactivate the dormant Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline, aiming to provide Iraq diversified export routes and Syria cheaper fuel for its struggling economy. Border crossings have reopened for trade after years of closure, and bilateral commerce is recovering, though from depressed levels compared to the pre-Assad era. Security cooperation has accelerated alongside energy ties. Thousands of suspected ISIS members have been transferred from Syria to Iraq in recent months, reflecting shared counterterrorism priorities in a region that once saw the militant group control large swaths of both countries. The relationship shift is dramatic: Damascus and Baghdad moved from deep mistrust under Bashar al-Assad to pragmatic partnership under al-Sharaa's new government, a transition explicitly backed by Washington. Al-Zaidi faces a September 2026 deadline to disarm Iranian-backed militias and demonstrate Iraqi independence from Tehran—a core Trump administration priority. His meeting with al-Sharaa signals alignment with the broader US strategy of using Iraq and Syria as anchors for regional stability and reduced Iranian influence. The new Syrian leadership's distance from Iran, and its openness to Western engagement, creates space for Iraq to reorient its geopolitical balance without confronting the old Assad-era Iran alliance.