According to Iraqi oil minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, "We have agreed in principle to an offer from Iran to build a 10 km pipeline across the Shatt Al-Arab to the Iranian port of Abadan."

"We faced no objection from the United States [to the MOU]," added Ibrahim, who confirmed that the pipeline will be established by the end of the year. This project is expected to relieve the transport congestion at the Iraqi port of Basra and help boost the country's oil exports.