Fuel price protests test the new regime in Syria

A wave of protests has erupted in several Syrian regions, starting in Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa before spreading to Aleppo, Idlib and Sweida, after authorities raised fuel prices by up to 40%, with the price of a litre of 95-octane petrol reaching 195 Syrian pounds and diesel 175 pounds. Senior Israeli security officials say these protests constitute the biggest social and economic challenge the new regime has faced so far, reflecting accumulated frustration over low incomes, delayed payments and rising living costs. The government justified the increase by citing higher global oil prices after the Strait of Hormuz crisis and the closure of the Banias refinery for maintenance, describing the decision as temporary, while protesters see the issue as going beyond fuel prices to how the state is run and how its resources are distributed.