In deal with Russia, Syria to regain control of 2 key Mediterranean bases
Russian forces in Syria will give up control of two strategic Mediterranean bases, which will become joint Russia-Syrian training centers under a new agreement, Syria’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
Russia was the top political and military ally of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad during the 2011-2024 civil war. Assad was overthrown in December 2024 by Islamist insurgents led by current interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and later fled to Russia, where he remains in exile.
The Hmeimim air base and Tartus naval base were key Russian outposts in the eastern Mediterranean. Under the agreement, Syria will take control of Hmeimim and the commercial berth at Tartus as part of its civil administration, while the military facilities at both sites will become “joint training” centers.
The Foreign Ministry described the deal as a “reorganizing of the Russian presence” along Syria’s coast and the most significant development since negotiations began about 18 months ago, opening a “new phase” in Syrian-Russian relations.
Moscow did not intervene during the insurgency that toppled Assad but gave him and his family asylum. Russian troops gradually left Syria afterward, except those stationed at the two bases.
Al-Sharaa has sought to preserve ties with Moscow and has met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow twice, with the bases a key issue.
Syria has also strengthened ties with the U.S., Europe and Arab neighbors. Washington lifted most sanctions, while French President Emmanuel Macron visited Syria in July and announced plans to appoint ambassadors, the first in 14 years.
