Assad regime ends in Syria as rebels claim Damascus

Former Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad was weakened as its allies fought conflicts elsewhere, Christopher Phillips, an associate fellow with the London-based think tank Chatham House, said in a statement today. 

“Assad survived during the 2011-20 phase of the civil war after extensive help from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah,” he said. “But Hezbollah have been decimated by the war with Israel, Iran is much weaker too as a result, while Russia has removed many of its forces to Ukraine. Neither ally has been able to send anywhere near the level of support Assad received in the past, weakening his forces.

Phillips added that Al-Assad’s domestic weaknesses were also a factor, saying he had become “complacent” as his regime’s brutality made life “grim” for Syrians.

“His military has melted away because it is deeply demoralized,” said Phillips. “Assad has focused on winning international recognition rather than consolidating his ‘victory’ in the civil war at home.”