Reuters, cited by Zero Hedge, said Damascus may curb Russian crude after deliveries reached about 60,000 barrels a day by May 2026; U.S. broad sanctions were lifted in July 2025, while prediction markets imply limited near-term supply fears.
Syria has reportedly agreed to reduce imports of Russian crude as part of talks with the United States over sanctions relief, according to a Reuters report cited by Zero Hedge, even though Russian shipments to Syria reached about 60,000 barrels per day by May 2026, roughly 75% above a year earlier. Since the Assad regime's fall in December 2024 and the first Russian deliveries in early 2025, Moscow has become Syria's dominant supplier, with average Russian imports around 49,000 barrels per day in 2025 and little supply from elsewhere. The U.S. lifted broad sanctions on Syria on July 1, 2025, but targeted sanctions remain, leaving companies with a fragmented compliance picture; the discussions also fit broader U.S. efforts to limit Russia's oil revenue. Prediction-market pricing cited in the report showed 4% YES odds of crude reaching a new all-time high by September 30 and 11.5% YES by December 31, while no evidence linked crypto assets to the oil talks and reopened banking channels reduced one sanctions-related crypto use case.