US troops continue illegal occupation of Syrian oil fields, warns minister

Syria’s oil minister has highlighted the ongoing challenge of oil wells remaining outside the control of the new interim government, as US forces continue their illegal occupation of Syrian oil fields which has been ongoing since 2014.

Minister Ghiath Diab said on Monday that several oil wells remain “outside the administration of the Syrian state”, describing it as “one of the biggest and most prominent obstacles” facing the country’s recovery. While Diab did not identify the occupying forces explicitly, the US military has maintained an illegal presence of approximately 900 troops in Syria’s oil-rich regions since 2014, preventing Damascus from accessing its own resources. The latest estimate is that the US has 2,000 troops in Syria.

The situation is particularly critical as Syria attempts to stabilise following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime on 8 December. In 2010, prior to the conflict, Syria produced 390,000 barrels of oil per day, accounting for a fifth of its GDP and half of its exports. Current production has plummeted to merely 40,000 barrels per day as of 2023.

Former US President Donald Trump openly acknowledged the occupation in 2020, stating: “I left troops to take the oil. I took the oil. The only troops I have [in Syria] are taking the oil.” His candid 2019-2020 statements about “keeping the oil” sparked international criticism and raised questions about the legality of US actions according to international law.

The US actually controls 90 per cent of Syrian oil. Its presence at the Syrian oil fields has been justified by Washington as necessary to prevent these resources falling into the hands of Daesh remnants. However, the true strategic aims appear more complex. A senior Pentagon official has acknowledged that blocking Damascus’s access to its oil resources is part of a deliberate pressure campaign, preventing the Syrian government from obtaining revenue needed for reconstruction.

While some Syrian Kurdish allies (the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces) have been permitted to sell oil locally, the majority of Syrians have been cut off from their country’s own resources. This has contributed to a devastating economic crisis, with severe fuel shortages affecting civilian life, heating, transportation and essential services.

The interim government, led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa — also known as Abu Mohammed Al-Julani — faces multiple challenges in its reconstruction efforts. Beyond the US occupation of vital oil infrastructure, the country continues to endure Israeli air strikes and international sanctions. Minister Diab appealed for the lifting of sanctions, arguing that “there is no point in maintaining the sanctions imposed on Syria after getting rid of the former regime and its allies.”

Syria’s oil resources are primarily concentrated in two regions: the north east, particularly in Hasakah, and the east along the River Euphrates to the Iraqi border near Deir Ez-Zor, with additional small fields south of Raqqa. Gas resources extend to Palmyra in central Syria, although access to these resources remains complicated by foreign military presence.

In a 2023 vote the US Senate reinforced its position, voting 84-13 against withdrawing troops from Syria, suggesting that American forces will continue to maintain their grip on Syria’s oil infrastructure for the foreseeable future, despite the country’s desperate need for resources to rebuild after years of devastating conflict. 

READ: Syria oil minister calls to lift sanctions after regime’s fall