Russia has lost a naval base after Syria ended an investment contract with Moscow, asserting its authority over the Tartus port.

Russia’s crucial diesel attack submarines can likely no longer operate in the Mediterranean Sea, after Moscow appears to have been kicked out of its naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus.

The Tartus port is Russia’s sole naval base outside the former Soviet Union and has played a critical role in Moscow’s military presence in the Mediterranean, but according to Syrian opposition outlet Shaam, citing the Ministry of Information, the agreement was annulled, and the Russians must leave.

President Donald Trump is taking a more assertive role on the global stage, aiming to establish Washington as an aggressive driver of global affairs, with a focus on maximum pressure on Iran and a

Syria's foreign minister said in a conversation with Tony Blair that the scrapping of sanctions aimed at the Assad regime is necessary for stability.

Syria's top diplomat said Wednesday that lifting economic sanctions imposed during the rule of ousted president Bashar al-Assad was "key" to restoring stability in the war-torn country.For weeks, Syria's new authorities have been lobbying Western powers to scrap restrictions that had targeted Assad's administration over his brutal 2011 crackdown on anti-government protests,

The new Syrian government has revoked an investment deal with a Russian company responsible for managing the port of Tartus.

Syria’s new government has canceled a 49-year lease signed with Russia to operate the port of Tartus, home to Moscow’s sole naval base on the Mediterranean Sea. The lease, signed in 2017, extended Russia’s maritime presence on the Syrian coast for the next half-century.

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Their treaty may be a case of "form over substance," and its timing — after Assad's fall and before Trump's return — is key.

Reliance on Russia’s military offerings has become increasingly prevalent in parts of Africa, amid an aggressive push by Moscow to lessen Western influence on the continent.

Following the fall of dictator Bashar Assad, there is uncertainty over the future of Russia's military bases in Syria. The naval base in Tartus and the airbase in Hmeimim are Russia's only military outposts outside the former Soviet Union and have played a key role in the Kremlin's activities in Africa and the Middle East.