The $5.8 billion includes an emergency three-month loan of $1.5 billion to be made available immediately, according to the newspaper.
Los Echos added that the Supreme Leader backed the idea of aid after it was proposed in a secret report published by Center for Strategic Research, the regime-linked think tank.
The paper also wrote that Iran could provide up to 290,000 barrels of oil to Syria daily over the next month while simultaneously boosting its border controls to prevent Syrians from fleeing into Lebanon with cash.
Iran is thought to be making this aid available to its longtime ally Syria after its economy has been hit hard by a months-long protracted spate of anti-regime protests and by international sanctions, diminished trade and reduced oil exports.
The paper reported that a shortage of several food items is likely as Syria’s GDP is expected to fall 3%. The report contrasts this potential drop in GDP with last year’s growth by a similar factor.
Unknown sources claim that the Syrian government does not have enough foreign reserve to guarantee imports of critical commodities for even two months, according to the report.
There has not been any reaction from the Supreme Leader or the Iranian government to the story, however.