President Assad 'accuses' the US of stealing Syrian oil and selling it to Türkiye

Syrian President Bashar Assad. Photo: TASS

Commenting on what happened to the oil produced from oil fields east of the Euphrates River, Assad said “now America is the one stealing the oil and selling it to Türkiye”.

The Syrian leader noted that before the United States, the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group and later the Islamic State (IS) used these oil wells. “The Turkish government plays a direct role in selling this oil, first to al-Nusra, then to IS and now to the Americans,” Assad said.

In late October, US President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw US forces from northern Syria, where Türkiye is conducting an operation. However, he insisted that Washington would maintain control of oil fields in northeastern Syria.

The Russian Defense Ministry has claimed that Washington is smuggling Syrian oil to other countries, and that these convoys are protected by private military companies and US special forces units.

US Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey has insisted that the US presence in the region is legitimate and that Washington seeks to ensure that oil fields in northeastern Syria are not seized by terrorists. In late November, Jeffrey stressed that according to the Syrian constitution, the oil belongs to the Syrian people.