If the region's wars and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz have led to the search for alternative trade routes, especially for oil, Lebanon will soon begin setting up the logistical and administrative base for transporting Iraqi fuel by land through Syria.
The ongoing wars in the region and the world are not only political or military, but they are also driven by economic motives related to oil and gas. These interests are what move the entire world.
During the G20 summit in New Delhi (2023), the establishment of the new economic corridor project between India, the Gulf, and Europe was announced. The ambitious project represents a challenge to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) launched in 2013, aimed at building an economic network and infrastructure linking Asia with Europe and Africa to strengthen China's global influence from East Asia to Europe, by making countries worldwide increasingly dependent on China.
The parallel economic corridor, according to G20 leaders, includes establishing railway lines and connecting seaports and other aspects. The United States expects the corridor to contribute to stimulating economic development by improving connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.
As the region's wars and the closure of the Hormuz Strait by Iran have prompted the search for alternative trade routes, especially for oil, Lebanon will soon set up the logistical and administrative base for the project of transporting Iraqi fuel by land through Syria to the oil facilities in Tripoli, and from there to the Mediterranean. Experts believe that this will not be limited to Tripoli by land, but that the Tapline to Zahrani may be revived for Iraqi oil this time.
The elevated position of Ali al-Taher may also fit within this framework, as its importance is not limited to its military position and the fortifications of Hezbollah there. Perhaps those fortifications were made with Iranian calculations that the party itself is not aware of, with the aim of influencing major economic and oil routes in the region.
The heights of Ali al-Taher. (Nabil Ismail)
It is true that Ali al-Taher is not on the historical Iraqi oil route of Kirkuk - Tripoli, but it is located in South Lebanon within the geographical area of the Zahrani facilities and the old Saudi Tapline.
The Zahrani facilities are not just oil tanks; historically, they were one of the points for receiving oil via pipeline routes. They received Saudi oil through the Tapline, which came from Saudi Arabia passing through Jordan and Syria to reach South Lebanon. The Directorate General of Oil explains that the line reached Zahrani through Syrian territory and that the terminal was originally established for this purpose.
Therefore, the importance of the Ali al-Taher heights lies not in having an Iraqi oil pipeline beneath or beside it, but in its location in relation to the transportation network and oil facilities in South Lebanon.
The most significant development currently is that since 2025, Iraq has been looking into restarting/rebuilding an oil route through Syria to the Mediterranean, with a larger project under study in 2026 to create a new infrastructure from Iraq through Syria. Reuters indicates that the new project could take about four years, aiming initially for a capacity of up to two million barrels per day, partially utilizing the old Kirkuk-Baniyas line.
If there is a real project to deliver Iraqi oil to Zahrani, the equation becomes very strategic.
From Iraq to Syria to South Lebanon - Nabatiyeh/Zahrani area - Zahrani facilities - the Mediterranean.
At that point, the area of Ali al-Taher becomes one of the heights controlling the geographic depth of the corridor leading to Zahrani, not as an oil station per se, but as a high site near the network of roads and routes linking Bekaa, Nabatiyeh, the south, and the coast.
Hence, Hezbollah - along with Iran - should not continue to control it, threatening the oil route that the United States is working on. Any pipeline or road for transporting oil requires protection for the routes, facilities, and pumping stations. Controlling nearby heights provides the ability to monitor and deter.
Reviving an Iraqi-Syrian-Lebanese corridor will restore a role to Lebanon that it lost decades ago, as an oil passage to the Mediterranean. This explains why the geography between Nabatiyeh, Zahrani, and the coast becomes of greater strategic value.
However, on the other hand, this connection should not be exaggerated, especially since no official public statement on this matter has been issued yet, nor has there been any serious scientific study in this regard, leaving the matter only to circulated discussions. The near future will reveal what it holds, hopefully not taking too long.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Annahar.
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