Syria has terminated its lease agreement with Russia for the Tartus port in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Syrian newspaper al-Watan, citing the director of the customs department in Riyadh, Judy, reported that the agreement for managing the port of Tartus between the Syrian authorities and the Russian company "Budtransgaz" has been annulled, according to the BBC.

The publication does not specify the date of the contract's termination.

The investment contract was signed in 2019 for a duration of 49 years.

Under its terms, Moscow was granted the right to manage the port and was required to invest over $500 million in its modernization, the BBC recalls.

Russia has been using the port for military purposes since Soviet times.

Currently, Tartus hosts a logistics support point for the Navy – the only Russian naval facility in the Mediterranean Sea.

At the end of 2024, just a few days before the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russian ships departed from Tartus. Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Russia would like to maintain its bases in Syria even after a change of government in the country.

Background. It is worth noting that an Iranian general accused Russia of lacking support during the collapse of Assad's regime. According to him, the Russians claimed they were targeting the rebels' headquarters, but in reality, it was a lie.