Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline

The Kirkuk-Mediterranean pipeline was a mixed 10/12-inch twin crude oil pipeline from the oil fields in Kirkuk, located in the former Ottoman vilayet of Mosul in northern Iraq, through Transjordan to Haifa in mandatory Palestine (now in the territory of Israel); and through Syria and a short stretch of what was to become the state of Lebanon to Tripoli. The oil arriving on the coast was shipped to European refineries until in 1939 the refinery in Haifa was completed, soon capable of processing the entire supply. For a few years before 1948 crude oil was transported from Tripoli to Haifa by tankers.

The pipeline was built by the Iraq Petroleum Company between 1932 and 1934 (and the first pipeline built by the company). The double pipeline split at Haditha (Pumping Station K-3) at the Euphrates river crossing.

The pipeline and the Haifa refineries were considered strategically important by the British Government, and indeed provided much of the fuel needs of the British and American forces in the Mediterranean during World War II. After the Fall of France for about one year of conflict in the Middle East, different parts of the pipeline system were in the hands of opposing forces. After the war with Israel now in possession of the southern terminal, the whole southern branch was cut off from Iraqi oil deliveries and eventually abandoned. During the Suez crisis, the northern branch was sabotaged by the Syrian government in solidarity with Egypt and remained shut down for 4 months, followed by a slow recovery to prior levels.

The pipeline was a target of attacks by Arabs during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, and as a result one of the main objectives of a joint British-Jewish Special Night Squads commanded by Captain Orde Wingate was to protect the pipeline against such attacks. Later on, the pipeline was the target of attacks by the Jewish Irgun paramilitary organisation.