Mediaboss Marketing

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:34pm EST

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with French magazine Paris Match,in Damascus,in this handout released by Syria's national news agency SANA on December 4,2014.

Credit: Reuters/SANA/Handout via Reuters

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian businessmen and trade officials say they are worried the economic lifeline provided by Iran is under strain from plunging oil prices, despite public messages of support from Syria's strongest regional ally.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has relied on oil-producing Iran to help him fight a nearly four-year-old civil war and also prop under a currency under pressure.

If it had not been for Iranian support we could not have survived the crisis," a senior Syrian trade official said from Damascus, requesting anonymity.

"It was Iranian support that has been the most important. In return, we are promising them more and more, and opening more and more doors for them to invest in Syria," he said.

Oil production in Syria, which is under U.S. and European sanctions, has dropped sharply since the start of the conflict and as insurgents have taken over energy installations.

In July last year, Iran granted Syria a $3.6 billion credit facility to buy oil products, according to officials and bankers at the time. Another $1 billion went for non-oil products.

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Exclusive: Iran's support for Syria tested by oil price ...