In deal with Russia, Syria to regain control of 2 key Mediterranean bases

Syria's Foreign Ministry announced Sunday that under a new agreement with Russia, Syrian forces will regain control of two strategic Mediterranean bases: the Hmeimim air base and the commercial berth at Tartus port. The military facilities will become joint Russia-Syrian training centers, marking a significant development in Syrian-Russian relations. Russia has not yet commented.

Syria's Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that under a new agreement with Russia, Syria will regain control of two strategic Mediterranean bases: the Hmeimim air base and the commercial berth at Tartus port. The military facilities at both sites will become joint Russia-Syrian training centers. The ministry described the move as a 'reorganizing of the Russian presence' along Syria's coast and called it the most significant development since negotiations began about a year and a half ago. Russia has not yet commented. The bases were key Russian military outposts during the Syrian civil war, when Russia was the top ally of ousted President Bashar Assad. After Assad's ouster in December 2024, Russian troops gradually left Syria except those at the bases. Syria's new leadership, under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has aimed to maintain strong ties with Moscow, with al-Sharaa visiting Putin twice. The agreement marks a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations.