The first oil tanker since the ousting of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived Thursday evening at Baniyas Port in Tartous Governorate, western Syria, according to the Syrian state news agency (SANA).

Tamer Akram, Director of Petroleum Facility Relations in Tartous, stated that the tanker carries 29,794 metric tons of diesel fuel, marking a significant step toward restoring energy supplies in the country.

Syria had long relied on Iranian oil shipments, particularly for electricity generation, but those supplies ceased following Assad’s removal from power in December.