Reopening of the Al-Waleed Border Crossing

The Iraqi and Syrian authorities announced on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, the trial reopening of the Al-Waleed border crossing—known on the Syrian side as the Al-Tanf crossing—after years of closure due to prevailing conditions.

The first convoys of Iraqi crude oil tankers immediately began crossing into Syrian territory, heading toward the Baniyas Oil Refinery on Syria’s coast, in a strategic move aimed at strengthening Iraq’s overland oil export routes.

Mujahid Marhi Al-Dulaimi, Director of Al-Waleed Subdistrict in Iraq’s Anbar Governorate, stated that the crossing witnessed a pilot reopening today, with crude oil tankers entering directly. He confirmed that more than 150 tankers were ready to cross, expecting the daily transit rate in the initial phase to reach 500 oil tankers per day.

For his part, Mazen Alloush, Director of Relations at the Syrian General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs, announced the reopening of the crossing as part of efforts to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries. He pointed to the start of convoy movements toward the Baniyas terminal, reflecting the reactivation of commercial transit and the flow of energy supplies through Syrian territory.