Iraq Seeks to Double Oil Output and Bypass the Strait of Hormuz

Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi visited Washington in July to nearly double the nation's oil production to 7 million barrels daily within three years. The plan includes establishing alternative export routes around the Strait of Hormuz, where 90 percent of Iraqi crude currently flows. Recent disruptions during regional conflict exposed this vulnerability. A proposed US-Iraq energy fund could scale from 500,000 to 2 million barrels daily.