Iraqi PM Al-Zaidi Arrives in Syria for Landmark Economic Talks

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi landed in Syria on Wednesday, October 28, at approximately noon. This marks the first official visit by an Iraqi prime minister to Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime in 2024. Al-Zaidi is leading a high-level delegation into the country, though Baghdad has kept public details about the itinerary sparse.

The central focus of the visit is the expansion of economic corridors between the two neighbors. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told Iraqi television station Dijlah that the nations face a historic opportunity to deepen cooperation. He specifically cited the potential for connecting Iraq’s Faw Port with Syria’s Mediterranean port of Tartous. Al-Sharaa also called for the reconstruction of oil pipelines linking Iraq to Syria’s Baniyas port.

Trade volumes have already grown substantially in recent months. According to Syrian state news agency SANA, commercial traffic between the countries increased over the previous six to seven months. This surge included more than 100,000 transit trucks and 40,000 import and export trucks moving across the border. Iraqi oil has been flowing into Syria as a result of the ongoing crisis involving Iran.

Security remains a key component of the discussions. On Tuesday, President al-Sharaa declared the border between the two countries to be "completely" secure. However, recent friction with Jordan complicates this claim. Jordan conducted an airstrike against ISIS targets inside Syria, an action that Damascus says killed several civilians. The incident highlights the delicate balance required to manage threats along the border.

Al-Sharaa used his interview to address Iraq’s internal security challenges. He expressed support for Prime Minister al-Zaidi’s efforts to combat corruption and bring armed groups under state authority. He argued that the "decision of war and peace must remain in the hands of the state." This position suggests a preference for centralized military control over competing non-state armed organizations.

The relationship between the two leaders carries historical weight that may complicate current diplomacy. Al-Sharaa stated he traveled to Iraq in 2003 to defend Iraqis during the American occupation. He said he entered prison around 2005 and returned to Syria in 2011 after his release. He described his presence in Iraq as being without organizational or political affiliations. Iraqi officials view the groups with which al-Sharaa was associated at that time as terrorist organizations.

The geographic link between the two nations has long served as a corridor for movement. Routes through the Middle Euphrates River Valley, specifically around al-Bukamal and al-Qaim, were used by insurgents during the 2003 war. Later, ISIS fighters used these same paths during their expansion in 2013 and 2014. In the years following Assad’s rise, Iraqi Shi’ite militias used the corridors to support the regime and move weapons to Hezbollah.

The fall of the Assad regime altered this dynamic. Reports indicate that oil is now moving by truck through the Syrian desert near al-Tanf. These routes, which once carried fighters and supplies, now connect the economies of both countries. The stability of these corridors is viewed as a factor for regional partners, including Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.