Iraq-Syria border crossing reopens for first time in over a decade

A key border crossing between Iraq and Syria reopened on Monday (April 20, 2026) for the first time in more than a decade, with officials highlighting its potential for trade and oil exports. Syria touted the crossing as a safe overland route for oil exports and an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz at the focus of the Iran war.

The crossing — known as Rabia in Iraq and Yarubiyah in Syria — was closed after the Syrian civil war began in 2011. Then in 2014, militants from the Islamic State group seized the area. Iraqi Kurdish forces later retook it.