By using Julia Payne LONDON (Reuters) – The Syrian govt of President Bashar al-Assad has bought huge imports of Iraqi crude oil from an Egyptian port within the final nine months, delivery and funds documents show, part of an beneath-the-radar alternate that has saved his defense force running regardless of Western sanctions. Assad’s government has been blacklisted by means of Western powers for its role within the two-and-a-half of year civil warfare, forcing Damascus to depend on strategic ally Iran – itself the goal of Western sanctions over its nuclear software – as its main provider of crude oil. A Reuters examination in line with previously undisclosed industrial documents about Syrian oil purchases shows however that Iran is not appearing by myself. Dozens of shipping and fee documents seen by way of Reuters convey that millions of barrels of crude delivered to Assad’s executive on Iranian ships has in reality come from Iraq, via Lebanese and Egyptian buying and selling corporations.