Syrian businessmen and trade officials are worried that 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 Assad has relied on oil-producing Iran to help him fight a nearly 4-year-old civil war and also prop up 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.