World / Middle East Syria suffers economic siege, says Assad The US has moved to stem petroleum shipments to the country, and major oil and gas fields remain out of the government's control in the northeast BL PREMIUM

Damascus — President Bashar al-Assad said Syria was suffering an “economic siege” as his government faces a raft of international sanctions over the eight-year civil war. “The war on Syria has taken on a new form that is basically siege and economic war,” he said, according to a statement released by the presidency. “International political tools have changed,” he said, as he met Chinese assistant foreign minister Chen Xiaodong in Damascus. Instead of dialogue, foreign powers have adopted “a different approach consisting of boycott, ambassador withdrawal, economic siege and the use of terrorism”, he said. The president describes both rebels and jihadists as “terrorists”. The US and the EU have slapped a series of sanctions on Syrian officials since the war started in 2011. Many foreign nations closed their embassies in Damascus while others scaled down their representation. Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011. Energy shortages As the war enters its ninth year this month...