Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria has collapsed and the dictator has fled the country as rebel forces advance into the capital Damascus, according to reports from the Middle East.
Unconfirmed social media reports also suggest that Assad's plane crashed.
The sudden collapse of Assad's regime, which dates back more than half a century to the regime of Bashar's father Hafez al-Assad, has shaken the Middle East and could mean Syria's ally the Iranian regime is in danger. be.
Assad is one of the world's most notorious tyrants and someone who used chemical weapons against his own people. His government nearly collapsed in the civil war that erupted during the 2011 Arab Spring, but was backed up by Russian and Iranian forces.
President Vladimir Putin used Syria to restore Russia's presence in the Middle East for the first time since the Cold War, while Iran used Syria as a conduit to Lebanon's Hezbollah, sending weapons and advisors to it.
President Assad bombed rebel-held cities and tortured rebels and suspected dissidents with disregard for civilian life. President Barack Obama said,red line'' in 2012, and said the United States would intervene militarily if Assad used chemical weapons, but has since taken no action.
President Donald Trump launched airstrikes against his regime in 2017 in the wake of a chemical weapons attack, firing about 60 cruise missiles at Syrian air bases, which had the intended effect.
President Trump has reduced the U.S. military presence in Syria, but a small force remains to counter the threat from the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), which remains active in the country. Turkey also has interests in Syria, targeting Kurdish militias operating within Syrian territory.
But President Assad remained in power thanks to Russia and Iran. Iran uses Lebanon's Hezbollah forces to protect its regime, and they are accused of committing atrocities against Sunni areas.
Syria's opposition, including al-Qaeda-linked Islamic extremists, remained relatively weak. However, the Third Lebanon War, which began when Hezbollah opened fire on Israeli cities after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, weakened Hezbollah and severed its supply lines.
Following the ceasefire in Lebanon, Syrian rebels, emboldened by Hezbollah's apparent defeat, began advancing rapidly with little resistance.
Russia was tied up in the Ukraine war and seemed unable (or unwilling) to intervene. Iran reportedly sent new military advisers, but also evacuated Iranian militias and personnel.
President Bashar al-Assad reportedly pulled his troops into Damascus in a last-ditch stand, but there were also reports that he defected from the army as rebels approached. The rebels appear to be making good use of social media to project strength and encourage surrender.
There were concerns about the fate of Assad's chemical weapons stockpile, which was supposed to be eliminated by an Obama-brokered deal (but it wasn't). Israel recently attacked It was installed at a chemical weapons depot in Syria to prevent chemical weapons from falling into the hands of rebel groups. According to social media reports, the rebels insist they will not use such weapons. Their reliability is uncertain at best.
There are also concerns about the fate of Syria's religious minorities, especially Christians. Israel has taken steps to strengthen its military presence on the Syrian border and warned rebels not to attack the Syrian border. President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States should not intervene in Syria, but the Biden administration said it had no plans to do so.
For now, the world is waiting to learn Assad's fate. To see who will be Syria's new ruler. And let's see if Iran is next.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. he is the author of Agenda: What should President Trump do in his first 100 days?available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of Trumpian Virtues: Lessons and Legacy of the Donald Trump Presidencynow available on Audible. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
