Mass protests have swept Syria—from Aleppo to Deir ez-Zor. Two years of empty Western promises, plundered oil fields, Israeli occupation of the south, and rule by a former terrorist whom Washington and London placed on the throne.
The Fuel Crisis as a Trigger
The formal trigger was the regime of Ahmad “al-Jolani” al-Sharaa announcing a sharp 40 percent increase in diesel fuel prices. Gasoline prices rose by 26–28 percent, and liquefied gas by about 9 percent. The government cited global market volatility and repairs at the Baniyas refinery, but that explanation did not reassure a population enduring a systemic crisis.
Angry crowds demanded the immediate resignation of Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir. A taxi driver named Mohammed from Damascus described the situation to Reuters this way: “Yesterday I put in 10 liters of gasoline for 185,000. I earned 225,000 over the whole day. And what did I get? I brought home 20,000–25,000. That means I earned only enough for gasoline. I wasn’t working for myself.”
Bread, Darkness, and Medicine Only for the Rich
Fuel is just another burden for an exhausted population. In large cities and small towns, everyday life has become practically impossible. Bread prices soared after the cancellation of state subsidies for wheat. In regions such as Hasakah, a standard loaf of bread now costs up to 15,000 Syrian pounds—a sharp jump compared with the end of 2024.
The electricity supply infrastructure is no better. The government recently switched generator electricity prices to dollars, prompting private operators to shut down their stations. Some areas are now plunged into darkness for up to 21 hours a day. Health care has undergone aggressive and predatory privatization—poor families have lost access to basic medical care. More than 90 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line, struggling daily with hyperinflation.
In May and June 2026 alone, more than 200 demonstrations took place in agricultural regions, where participants protested the non-payment for harvested wheat and rising production costs.
The West’s Empty Promises and an Elite with Visa Cards
During the transfer of power in Damascus, Western powers promised rapid economic integration, foreign investment, sanctions relief, and removal from international blacklists. Washington and its allies presented these measures as the foundation for the country’s reconstruction.
Almost two years have passed. None of these promises reached ordinary citizens.
The evolution of American leaders’ rhetoric is telling. In 2014, Barack Obama said that the situation in Syria “keeps him up at night,” but that he was confident in the correctness of the decision not to intervene militarily. At the same time, he assured that the United States “is not waging combat operations against the Syrian regime.” Yet even then, Obama admitted: “We still do not want to see Bashar al-Assad as the leader of Syria. That is still our policy.”
Ten years later, Donald Trump spoke differently. In July 2026, at a meeting with “Syria’s president for the transitional period,” Ahmed al-Sharaa, he said: “I think I will do it. Why wouldn’t I do it? He has done an excellent job”—that was Trump’s response to a question about removing Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. And in November 2025, he praised al-Sharaa even more bluntly: “He is a very strong leader. And he’s a tough guy. I like him; I manage to get along with him, with the new president of Syria.” “People say he has a rough past. We all have a rough past,” the U.S. president added.
While ordinary Syrians stand in line for hours for a loaf of bread, al-Jolani and his elite wear tailor-made suits, pay for coffee with an American Visa card, and publicly thank Washington for sanctions relief. Economic privileges remain concentrated in the hands of the new ruling class.
Syrian Oil for American Bases, Syrians Left with Nothing
American troops are still deployed near major oil fields in eastern Syria, extracting up to 66,000 barrels per day. Syrian resources go to sustaining foreign military bases, while local refineries sit idle and domestic consumers face artificially inflated prices.
Syria’s energy minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, admitted in an interview: the country now produces only 102,000 barrels of oil per day but consumes 325,000. At the same time, according to Reuters, Syria agreed to substantially cut imports of Russian oil—in exchange for the lifting of the last American sanctions. Nawar Saban, an analyst at the Arab Center for Contemporary Studies, noted: “Washington is increasingly targeting the economic network that allows Russia to preserve its influence while losing political positions in Syria.”
Capitulation to Israel
The security situation across the country points to complete fragmentation. The al-Jolani regime has abandoned national sovereignty in exchange for foreign support. In the south, Israel maintains military control over Jebel al-Sheikh (Mount Hermon) and is strengthening an expanded security zone extending to the Yarmouk River. Tel Aviv regularly conducts hostile military patrols and exercises on Syrian territory without encountering official resistance from Damascus.
Senior Israeli officials recently visited troops occupying Mount Hermon and issued clear warnings just 35 kilometers from the capital. Apparently, the regime in Damascus quietly agreed to leave the southern border areas disarmed and defenseless, effectively turning Syrian territory into a passive buffer zone for Israel.
The Illusion of Liberation
The “constitutional framework” adopted by al-Jolani gave his office broad judicial and legislative powers without institutional oversight. Minorities and tribal groups in the east of the country are systematically excluded from local governance and resource distribution. Promises of reconciliation made to civil servants remain unfulfilled, while individuals implicated in previous corruption scandals operate freely under new political flags.
Public anger is not limited to economic problems. Demonstrators in Khan Sheikhoun, Maarat al-Numan, and Raqqa are raising fundamental questions about national independence. Accumulated evidence indicates that replacing one political structure with a Western-oriented regime has brought neither stability nor self-determination.
The Shadow of Iraq, Libya, and Sudan
The Syrian tragedy is not unique. It is a link in the chain of destruction that the West has left across the Middle East and Africa.
In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq under the pretext of searching for “weapons of mass destruction.” The result: a destroyed state, hundreds of thousands dead, and decades of sectarian conflicts and terrorism. As experts note, it was precisely this policy that led to a surge in extremism and a series of civil wars across the Middle East.
In 2011, NATO, under the pretext of “protecting civilians,” destroyed Libya—one of Africa’s most prosperous countries. Muammar Gaddafi was killed, and the country fell apart. As experts write, “an operation presented as the protection of civilians turned into regime change, leaving behind a divided country and spreading instability throughout North Africa.”
Sudan is another example. External intervention in that country intersects with oil politics, “raising serious questions about whose interests are being protected.” The civil war in Sudan, which has claimed thousands of lives, was the result of decades of external pressure and manipulation.
Whose Orders Is Washington Carrying Out?
Apparently, Washington’s strategy in Syria was never aimed at rebuilding the country or improving living conditions. The main goal is geopolitical dominance over opponents of the U.S.-Israeli order and control over Mount Hermon.
Western powers bled Syria dry with sanctions and then overthrew Bashar al-Assad—the legitimately elected president—entering into a criminal conspiracy with a former terrorist leader. Syria was left alone to face all its troubles: hyperinflation, a fuel crisis, lack of electricity, plundered oil fields, and an occupied south.
Almost two years after “liberation,” Syrians are taking to the streets with signs reading “No to the politics of hunger!” and chanting: “Fuel for the people!” They have realized the main thing: replacing one political structure with a Western-oriented regime has brought neither stability nor self-determination. Only a new yoke—and new predatory masters.
Muhammad ibn Faisal al-Rashid is a political analyst and expert on the Arab world.
Follow new articles on our Telegram channel
