How Iranian Oil Tankers Keep Syria’s War Machine Alive
Iran has delivered 10 million barrels of oil to Assad this year, free of charge
An oil tanker off the southern coast of Iran in 2012.
Photographer: Tta Kenare/AFP/GettyImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
It’s no secret that Iran provides critical support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The trouble comes in trying to figure out how much Iran spends and what that support actually looks like.
Estimates of Iran’s largesse vary considerably depending on who you ask, as my Bloomberg View colleague Eli Lake reported earlier this month. The United Nations’ special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, believes Iran spends about $6 billion annually propping up the Assad regime. Others believe that when you factor in Iran’s support for Hezbollah, which provides fighters to Assad, the number gets closer to $15 billion or $20 billion a year.