Al-Zaidi to Visit Kuwait and Bahrain Soon; Iraqi Oil Pipeline Toward Baniyas
The Iraqi government says Kuwait and Bahrain are included in Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi's upcoming foreign visits and reveals efforts toward an oil pipeline through Syria to the port of Baniyas.
Haider Al-Aboudi, the Iraqi government's official spokesman, announced on the evening of Thursday, October 29, 2026, that Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi's upcoming foreign visit schedule includes Kuwait and Bahrain, along with several other countries that have strategic partnerships and interests with Iraq.
Expanding cooperation with Kuwait and Bahrain
Al-Aboudi said in a televised statement that these visits come within the framework of expanding bilateral cooperation and strengthening shared interests that serve Iraq and the region, without specifying dates.
He explained that Zaidi's visits to several countries, including the United States, Turkey, Iran, Qatar, France, Germany and Jordan, culminating in his recent visit to Syria, fall within the government's vision of opening up to neighboring countries and states that are economically and politically influential.
Alternative export routes for oil after the Hormuz crisis
Al-Aboudi indicated that the diplomatic moves focus primarily on economic interests, especially after the repercussions caused by the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and on the need for Iraq not to rely on a single strategic route for exporting its oil.
He revealed that Iraq is moving toward reaching an agreement with a coalition of international companies led by Chevron to lay a pipeline to export Iraqi oil toward the Syrian port of Baniyas, which would provide an additional corridor for Iraqi oil to reach global markets.
Zaidi assumes control of the National Intelligence Service
On security matters, Al-Aboudi affirmed that the prime minister's assumption of the management of the National Intelligence Service at the present stage, following changes the service has undergone, comes as part of the government's support for strategic security institutions and to strengthen and develop their performance.
