Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

First Oil, Now Food: US Reportedly Smuggles Over a Dozen Truckloads of Wheat Out of Syria

First Oil, Now Food: US Reportedly Smuggles Over a Dozen Truckloads of Wheat Out of Syria

President Joe Biden may not brag like his predecessor about “taking the oil” in northeastern Syria but he's quietly continued Washington's policy of smuggling black gold out of the country. On top of that, Syrian media have reported an increase in incidents of US involvement in the illegal export of foodstuffs out of the food-insecure nation.

Fourteen trucks loaded with wheat from two silos in the Hasakah countryside have been illegally smuggled out of Syria into Iraq using the al-Waleed border crossing point, the Syrian Arab News Agency has reported, citing local sources.

According to the news agency, the wheat was sourced from silos in the towns of Tal Alou and Yarubiyah, known as major local reserves of foodstuffs. SANA attributed the theft to "US occupation forces," a term often used to denote either US troops or their Syrian Democratic Forces militia allies.

The latest incident follows reports from last week about 12 vehicles carrying wheat being driven to Iraq using the Semalka border crossing, and another episode on 28 March in which some 38 trucks loaded with wheat were sent to Iraq via the al-Walid crossing point. Eighteen more truckloads of grains were reportedly smuggled out via Semalka the same week.

Local media have reported a major uptick in the smuggling of foodstuffs since January, with the Biden administration appearing to have switched from previously-reported on tactic of setting food crops on fire to prevent them from being harvested.

The growing pressure on the country’s food supplies comes as the US and its Kurdish allies continue to occupy as much as 90 percent of Syria’s oil-producing regions. Syria was never a major oil power before 2011, but the supplies it had were enough to secure energy independence, and to earn the country a modest income via exports. Syria desperately needs sources of income to repair the estimated $400 billion in damage caused by the foreign-backed civil conflict, but US and European sanctions, combined with Washington’s occupation of the Arab Republic’s major oil fields, makes reconstruction difficult.

Last week, Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, told a meeting of the Security Council on Syria that Tehran considers the “weaponis[ation of] food and medicine and endangering the food security of a nation…unjust and unacceptable.” At the same meeting, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin warned that some 60 percent of Syrians have insufficient access to food, and indicated that the humanitarian situation has faced the worst deterioration in the country’s northwest, north and northeast, in areas outside Damascus’s control.


Last month, Human Rights Watch accused the Syrian government with failing to “fairly and adequately address a bread crisis,” which it said was “forcing millions of Syrians to go hungry.” HRW mentioned the destruction of 35,000 hectares of agricultural land under government control, but did not say who was responsible. The agency further pointed to the “spillover effects” of crushing US and European sanctions, but did not mention illegal smuggling of wheat as a factor exacerbating the crisis.

Before the war, Syria enjoyed self-sufficiency in wheat production. Today, the country is heavily dependent on imports, with Russia its primary source. In 2020, Russia donated 100,000 tonnes of wheat to Syria in the form of humanitarian aid.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×