Race for reconstruction heats up as Syrian war winds down
As the conflict in Syria winds down and reconstruction begins, Iran is racing alongside other friends and rivals for a role in the future Syrian economy.
Nearly eight years after the start of the Syrian conflict, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad — backed by Iran, Russia and Lebanon’s Hezbollah — have reclaimed control over most territories once held by the rebels. As one of the main allies of Assad, who received Iranian aid in the form of military advisers, manpower and billions of dollars in credit lines to keep Syria’s economy afloat, the Islamic Republic is now trying to widen its role in the war-torn country as reconstruction estimated to cost up to $400 billion begins.
Speaking to Al-Monitor, David Butter, an associate fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa program, said, “The main Iranian economic contribution has been through the provision of crude oil at an average of about 50,000-60,000 barrels per day since 2013 on a credit basis. This would work out at about $6-7 billion.”
