The Damascus caretaker government’s General Authority for Land and Maritime Crossings denied, to Enab Baladi, the circulating news about the ban on goods originating from Iran, Russia, or Israel from entering Syria.

Mazen Alloush, the public relations officer at the General Authority for Land and Maritime Crossings, told Enab Baladi today, Friday, January 17, that the circulating news about the decision to ban these goods comes from pages impersonating the authority.

Alloush added that the General Authority for Land and Maritime Crossings does not have any accounts on social media, confirming that all decisions are issued exclusively by the official Syrian news agency (SANA).

He pointed out that these accounts are spreading “false” advertisements related to job vacancies, denying their validity.

Regarding the entry of these goods, Alloush stated to Enab Baladi that there are lists that will be issued by the Ministry of Economy in the coming days to regulate this matter, clarifying that the decision is still under study by the specialized committees.

A widely circulated news on media and social media pages regarding the ban on goods from Iran, Russia, and Israel was reported after a Telegram account named “General Authority for Land and Maritime Crossings” claimed this.

The page also published a circular that it said was issued by the Syrian authorities, which prohibits the entry of Israelis and Iranians through land, air, and maritime crossings.

On another note, Turkish Airlines announced on Thursday, January 16, a set of conditions for traveling via its routes to Syria following hours after announcing the resumption of its flights to Damascus, stating that these are issued by the authorities in Syria.

One of the conditions included allowing citizens of all countries to travel to Syria except for Iranians and Israelis.

After the fall of the Syrian regime on December 8, 2024, rumors spread widely amid the absence of official media at that time.

The General Authority for Land and Maritime Crossings was established by the interim Damascus government at the end of December 2024, and it was linked with customs, border centers, and the Free Zones Authority.

The authority’s work is directly linked to the Council of Ministers, and it oversees and organizes humanitarian and commercial entry and exit, maritime navigation, maritime transport, and ownership and leasing of commercial vessels and properties necessary for its operations.