Orientul Mijlociu

Syria has long been regarded as one of the most geostrategically significant nations in the Middle East. Its importance extends far beyond its borders, influencing regional power dynamics, global geopolitics, and the strategies of major international players. Understanding Syria’s prominence requires a deep dive into its geographic location, historical role as a crossroads of civilizations, and its place in contemporary strategic theories.

As far as Hamas leaders are concerned, the involvement of Iran’s other proxies in the Jihad against Israel has been insufficient. Hamas leaders were hoping to see Arab and Muslim armies march on Israel and fulfill their dream of replacing it with a jihadist terror state.

President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military should stay out of the escalating conflict in Syria as a shock opposition offensive closes in on the capital, declaring in a social media post, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.”

With world leaders watching the rapid rebel advance against Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-backed president, Bashar Assad, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser separately stressed that the Biden administration had no intention of intervening.

Former Syrian President Basher al-Assad and his family arrived in Moscow following the Kremlin’s offer of asylum, Tass reported on December 8.

Al-Assad and his family departed by private jet from Damascus and arrived in Abu Dhabi on late December 7, as rebels were closing in on Damascus. It is unclear when he left the capital of the United Arab Emirates to transfer to Moscow.

The army command issued the statement early on Sunday following reports of the terrorists’ entrance in Damascus and Assad’s departure from the city.

Reuters, citing two army officers, said that Assad had earlier on Sunday flown out of Damascus for an unknown destination before the groups reached the city.

Today’s news round on Syria highlights the rapid escalation of conflict and its far-reaching implications. Rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Turkish-backed factions, have seized Aleppo in a major offensive, marking the most significant challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years. The fighting has spread to key areas like Hama, with intense clashes between government troops and insurgents, supported by foreign powers on both sides. The United States and Russia are also actively engaged, with Centcom destroying weapons threatening U.S. forces in eastern Syria, while Moscow accuses “external forces” of fueling violence. Analysts warn of broader geopolitical repercussions as Syria’s civil war shifts from stalemate to intensified proxy battles, underscoring the need for a strategic international response to address the deepening crisis.

“Where is the victory? How much did it cost? What defeat is more terrible than such losses? How can one claim victory in the face of a massacre that has destroyed all the logic of resistance? It’s not too late to ask Hezbollah to explain its unilateral and deadly decision to open the confrontation [with Israel] under Iran’s cover.” — Nabil Bou Monsef, prominent Lebanese journalist, kataeb.org, November 27, 2024.