What prompts Trump to adopt the Iraqi gamble...?

What is driving Donald Trump to bet on Iraq?

It is clear, at least for now, that the US President, influenced by his ambassador in Ankara, Tom Barrack, believes he can distance Iraq from Iran and bring it closer to Syria by restarting the Kirkuk–Baniyas oil pipeline. If the pipeline is rehabilitated, Iraq would be able to export two million barrels of oil per day through it. Ultimately, Iraq itself needs to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and reach the Mediterranean Sea via Syria, and possibly Lebanon as well. …