Iran ships tankers containing 1.4 million barrels of crude oil to Syria

By Nuran Erkul Kaya

ANKARA (AA) - A further 1.4 million barrels of Iranian crude oil is expected to arrive in Syria's Baniyas port in 24 hours, according to naval tracking firm Tanker Trackers on Thursday.

"In roughly 24 hours from now, the first two out of three tankers shall arrive in Baniyas, Syria with around 1.4 million barrels of Iranian crude oil," Tanker Trackers said.

Approximately 300,000 further barrels are in the Suez, the naval tracking firm said.

"Tankers have been instructed to wait for proof of payment first before completing delivery," Tanker Trackers noted.

The shipment comes after Iran sent around 5 million crude oil barrels to Syria over the past few months in response to the growing fuel crisis since mid-March when the YPG/PKK terror group cut off oil provisions due to the accumulation of debt by the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Iran resumed its support for Assad with shipments of over 3 million barrels of oil in four tankers - Arman 114, Sam 121, Daran and Romina and another 1.5 million barrels of crude oil in May.

Experts see Iran's continuing oil shipments to Syria as a way of strengthening its regional position and as part of Iran's commitment to keeping al-Assad in power.