Syria’s Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that Russian forces will relinquish control of two key Mediterranean military installations to Syrian authorities. The Hmeimem air base and the Tartus naval base, which served as critical Russian military positions throughout Syria’s civil conflict, will transition under the new bilateral agreement.
Under the arrangement, Syria will take administrative control of the Hmeimem air base and the commercial berth at Tartus port as components of its civil administration. The military facilities at both locations will be reconfigured as joint training centers operated cooperatively by both nations. Syrian officials characterized this transition as a reorganization of Russia’s military presence along the Syrian coast and described it as a major development emerging from negotiations that began approximately a year and a half prior.
Russia has maintained a significant military foothold in Syria since becoming a key ally of the Assad government during the country’s civil war, which lasted from 2011 until 2024. Following the December 2024 ouster of Bashar Assad by Islamist-led insurgents under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, most Russian troops departed Syria, though personnel at the two bases remained. Assad subsequently sought refuge in Russia.
Syria’s current leadership has prioritized maintaining strong relations with Moscow despite the political transition. Interim President al-Sharaa has conducted two visits to President Vladimir Putin in Moscow since assuming power, with the Mediterranean bases featuring prominently in discussions. Simultaneously, Syria has expanded diplomatic and economic ties with Western nations and Arab countries that had severed relations during Assad’s governance. The United States has removed most sanctions against Syria, and France announced plans to restore full diplomatic representation in the country for the first time in 14 years following a July visit by President Emmanuel Macron.
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