Demonstrations and road blockades have started in areas of Syria. These include Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Deir ez-Zor. The reason is an increase in fuel prices. Gasoline and diesel costs went up by much, as 40 percent. Syria Fuel Price Protests
Outraged by the sudden economic strain, protesters burned tires and set up makeshift roadblocks to halt traffic along major transit corridors, including the M-5 international highway near Maarat al-Numan in southern Idlib. Demonstrations were also reported in central Hama’s al-Assi Square, as well as northern Aleppo hubs including Azaz and al-Bab, where crowds gathered to protest rising living costs and transport disruptions. In several areas, anger boiled over into direct confrontations with local security forces and de facto administrative authorities.
The price adjustments, announced by the Ministry of Energy’s specialized fuel committee, raised 90-octane and 95-octane gasoline prices by nearly 30 percent, while diesel spiked by 40 percent overnight. Officials defended the decision as a temporary measure driven by soaring international energy costs and regional maritime trade disruptions linked to the conflict in the Gulf. Energy ministry representatives acknowledged that Syria’s current domestic production of 102,000 barrels per day falls far short of its 325,000 bpd consumption needs, leaving the country heavily reliant on costly foreign imports.
Local business owners and transport syndicates warn that the fuel price spike will immediately inflate the cost of basic food items, agricultural goods, and public transportation, deepening the humanitarian crisis for millions of families already struggling with widespread unemployment and severe economic degradation. MENA News Wire
