Syria has started trucking imported gasoline into Iraq, a workaround that keeps fuel moving now that the Strait of Hormuz is shut — good for Iraqi drivers, bad news for anyone hoping Middle East shipping returns to normal.

• The first cargo landed at Syria's Baniyas refinery and is being hauled to the Iraqi border by convoys of tanker trucks, with more shipments coming.
• The fuel comes from Qatar under a transit deal, so Syria is acting as a pass-through rather than selling its own supply.
• Hormuz closed after the US war on Iran, cutting off the normal sea route for oil, diesel, and gasoline across the region.
• Baghdad says it will keep building overland routes through Syria even if Hormuz reopens, because the waterway keeps opening and closing without warning.
• Long truck convoys on open desert roads are an easy target, and a single strike could cut the route.

Outlook: The deal covers only gasoline for now, but crude and diesel could be added, locking in trucks as a costly permanent substitute for tankers.