Russia Receives Reports Of US Carrying Oil From Syria To Iraq 'Every Day' - Vershinin

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th March, 2021) Russia continues to receive reports about US convoys transferring daily oil and grain from Syria to Iraq, Russian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey Vershinin said during a UN Security Council meeting on Monday.

"We are still receiving information that American convoys carry oil and grain out of Syria in to Iraq every day," Vershinin said.

Vershinin pointed out that 300 oil trucks crossed the Syria-Iraq border on March 23 alone as ascertained from the information in the received reports.

"It's clear while Syrians are suffering from a severe lack of goods including bread and oil, this tide of contraband Syrian natural resources leaving the US-controlled area on the Euphrates are in parallel there's a economic suffocation of the country as a result of unilateral sanctions which is a form of collective punishment," Vershinin said.

Syria has been engulfed in an armed conflict since 2011 as opposition and terrorist groups have fought to topple the government of President Bashar Assad. While victory over the Islamic State terror group (banned in Russia) in Syria and Iraq was announced at the end of 2017, government forces continue security operations in some parts of Syria. However, priority is given to reaching a political settlement, returning of refugees and restoring Syria.

According to data published by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 6 million people are displaced within Syria and as many as 6.6 million have fled the country as refugees since 2011.