Syria reclaims control of key coastal sites in deal with Russia

Syria reclaims control of key coastal sites in deal with Russia Submitted by Reem Aouir on Mon, 08/10/2026 - 04:04 Deal gives Damascus control of civilian facilities at Tartus and Hmeimim, while Russian military sites are converted into joint training centres Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and his delegation tour Latakia International Airport and the port of Tartus, on 9 August 2026 (Syrian Foreign Ministry/Telegram) Off Syria and Russia have reached a memorandum of understanding to scale back Moscow's military presence on Syria's Mediterranean coast, ending 18 months of negotiations over the future of the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval facility. The Syrian foreign ministry announced the deal on Sunday, describing it as the outcome of "a year and a half of negotiations and intensive discussions led by the ministry". Under the terms of the agreement, the Syrian state will take over management of civilian facilities at both sites, including Hmeimim airport and Tartus's fourth commercial pier, gradually folding them into civil administration, according to key points of the memorandum shared by the state news agency Sana.