Official Statement: Fire at the Main Oil Refinery in Homs, Syria

Syrian state media reported on Sunday that authorities are working to extinguish a fire that broke out at the main oil refinery in Homs, western Syria. It added, without providing details, that the fire ignited in the distillation unit due to a leak at a pumping station. State television showed live footage of flames engulfing parts of the refinery with plumes of black smoke rising in the distance while firefighters battled the blaze. Homs had previously witnessed a fire and an explosion in January that involved a nearby crude oil loading station and dozens of trucks transporting petroleum products across the country. The Homs refinery, along with another in Baniyas on the Mediterranean coast, has faced supply shortages in recent months due to irregular deliveries of Iranian crude oil to Syria, which is under sanctions and heavily relies on Tehran for its energy needs. Over the past two years, Syria has experienced shortages of gasoline and fuel for months, forcing it to ration supplies distributed in government-controlled areas and implement sharp price increases.