Diesel Runs Short in Latakia
A shortage of diesel deepened across Latakia governorate in the days before 23 October 2026, roughly a week after supplies first tightened. Several filling stations reported no diesel on hand, even as gasoline remained available at the pump.
Operators at one station in Jableh said deliveries had halted days earlier despite repeated requests, and that authorities had promised fresh supplies without giving a firm date.
Pressure on Transport
Public transport is among the first sectors to feel the squeeze. Drivers on the Latakia–Jableh minibus line said diesel had become difficult to secure and warned they may cut the number of daily trips.
Fewer runs would fall hardest on commuters, students and workers who depend on shared minibuses to reach jobs and schools each day.
Farms and Winter Heating
Agriculture faces parallel strain. Farmers use diesel to run machinery and irrigation pumps and to move harvests to market, so a prolonged shortage threatens to raise costs and delay seasonal work.
In the highland villages of Latakia's countryside, residents said households were anxious about heating as winter approaches, with low-income families least able to absorb higher fuel costs.
Prices and the Supply Gap
In September 2026, the Ministry of Energy raised diesel and gasoline prices, citing global costs, transport and insurance, and a temporary halt at the Baniyas refinery for maintenance. It set three diesel tiers: 115 Syrian pounds (SYP) per liter for subsidized diesel, 150 for service and production use, and 175 for standard diesel.
The strain reflects a wider gap between demand and local output. Estimates in February 2026, attributed to Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir, put national oil needs at about 150,000 barrels per day, with domestic production covering under a quarter; a later figure cited roughly 300,000 barrels per day of need against about 112,000 produced locally, on differing geographic measures.