Heightened Uncertainty In The Middle East

Dec 13th, 2024:What is next for a key player in the region? On December 8, 2024, the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, collapsed after rebel forces quickly took over some of the major cities, including Aleppo and ultimately the capital Damascus. The offensive was led by the group Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS), but other groups were involved as well. The conflict dates back to the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, which was rooted in the broader Arab Spring movement. The Assad government was able to remain in power with the help of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. However, tensions remained and the opposition groups were able to successfully topple the regime 13 years later. While Syria is not a major oil producer like some other countries in the Middle East, it plays an important strategic role in the region. We’ll discuss some of the potential implications of the recent changes in Syria for the oil and tanker markets in this week’s Tanker Opinion. Please fill in below form to continue read.