An unnamed Iranian official admitted on October 9th, 2025, that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had defrauded Iran, accusing him of attempting to repay debts with fraudulent deals and barren oil fields. The admission was made public through a statement shared on social media platform X. The official's accusation suggests a significant rift between Iran and the Damascus government, previously considered allies. The nature of the alleged "fake deals" and the specific "empty oil fields" were not detailed in the statement. This development follows an earlier report on October 9th, 2025, where the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported casualties from a drone attack attributed to Damascus-affiliated forces in Deir ez-Zor. The SDF stated that one member was killed and nine others were injured in that incident. No immediate response from the Syrian presidency or official government channels regarding the Iranian official's allegations has been reported as of the current reporting window.
