Syria delivers first oil shipment in years after sanctions lifted

Thanks to the lifting of Western sanctions, Syria exported 600,000 barrels of heavy crude oil for the first time in a long time. This step brought some relief to the country's economy, which has been suffering from the effects of war for over a decade.

According to the CEO of the Syrian Oil Transport Company, the tanker Nissos Christiana transported a shipment of oil from the port of Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea, as reported by the state agency SANA.

At the same time, the domestic market is supplied by two oil refineries in Baniyas and Homs, which are currently operating at full capacity.

Syrian economy recovery

In July 2025, US President Donald Trump officially lifted American sanctions against Syria to support the new government and stimulate its economy. Two months earlier, the European Union had lifted all remaining economic restrictions on the country.

As a result, the Syrian government has already signed agreements with a number of Saudi companies to rebuild the energy sector and has agreed with Dubai-based logistics company DP World Ltd. to invest $800 million in the development of the port of Tartus and the creation of logistics hubs in the country.

The new president of Syria, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, is currently actively seeking support from partners in the Persian Gulf. Key allies include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Gas and oil fields in northeastern Syria could be an additional resource for the economy, but they are still under the control of Kurdish forces.

In March, Sharaa signed an agreement with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, on the integration of Kurdish units into state institutions and the transfer of energy resources controlled by them to the government.

However, recent months have seen growing tensions between the parties, calling into question the implementation of the agreements by the end of the year.

The US is demanding that the EU abandon oil and gas from Russia and impose sanctions on India and China.

EU countries continue to buy gas from Russia, as well as petroleum products from India made from Russian oil. In addition, countries such as Hungary and Slovakia import cheap Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.

Furthermore, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski responded to the remarks made by his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó about Ukraine and noted that Hungary could obtain oil from non-Russian sources.