Leaked documents reveals size of Syria’s debts to Iran

Documents leaked from Iran’s Foreign Ministry revealed that Syria owes Iran $50 billion in funds spent to support the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad over the past ten years in the forms of both military and civilian support.

The documents were leaked by the hacktivist group ‘Uprising till Overthrow’, affiliated with the Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK) opposition group.

According to the documents, the agreements concluded with the Syrian regime to restore the “debts” only cover $18 billion of the $50 billion, which Tehran wants to recover in the form of “investments and the transfer of phosphates, oil and other resources from Syria.”

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The documents include a scheduled report entitled “Determining Iran’s Investment Commitment in Syria and Payment of Debts”, prepared by the First Vice President for Economic Coordination and Infrastructure Affairs in February 2023.

The report states that Syria’s debts to Iran are divided into two categories; military and civilian.

Under the civil claims section, it was stated that “during the 10-year war in Syria, in addition to oil exports, Iran has paid lines of credit and other payments to Damascus as well as cash to the Syrian government.”

The agreement signed by the Syrian minister of economy and trade with the former Iranian minister of roads and urban development in September 2022, stipulates the recovery of $18 billion from Syria within the next 50 years, according to the same source.

Iran did not comment on the leaked documents, however, most of the projects and agreements included in the documents have been covered by the Iranian media over the years.

Iran has played a significant role in supporting the Syrian regime politically and militarily throughout the civil war, with the aim of preserving its regional interests and influence.

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