Last Updated:
Assad’s downfall has disrupted the “Axis of Resistance” that connects Tehran to Hezbollah in Lebanon through Syria.
A portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is pictured with its frame broken | Image/AFP
Hours after the Syrian rebels declared the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad following the complete seizure of Damascus on Sunday, their supporters gathered near central squares to celebrate, chanting anti-Assad slogans.
Bashar al-Assad came to power succeeding his father Hafez Al-Assad in 2000 and ruled Syria for over two decades till an armed rebellion overthrew his regime.
The offensive, led by a group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front and affiliated with the terror group Al-Qaeda, along with allied factions, has resulted in the unprecedented fall of the Assad regime after five decades of iron-fisted rule in Syria.
Bashar al-Assad’s father’s rule over Syria with an iron grip for nearly three decades was seen as repressive by many. Hopes were high that relieving reforms would be made in Syria under Bashar’s rule. But the aspirations never came to reality as he followed his father’s footprints.
Assad’s legacy will be indelibly marked by his handling of the 2011 protests, which spiralled into a devastating civil war. The conflict claimed over half a million lives, forced six million people to become refugees, and left countless others internally displaced.
People Celebrate Assad’s Ouster
The Syrians, especially the supporters of the rebel group, gathered to celebrate in the central squares of Damascus and other cities, ringing out celebratory gunshots and honking horns.
❗Syrians in the city of Douma in Damascus countryside took to the streets, rejoicing at the whithdrwal of Assad regime and Iranian militias 🇸🇾 pic.twitter.com/EbYoR8kD9h— Tannie تاني 🇵🇸 (@putin_76) December 7, 2024
“My feelings are indescribable,” said Omar Daher, a 29-year-old lawyer. “After the fear that he (Assad) and his father made us live in for many years and the panic and state of terror that I was living in, I can’t believe it.”
Daher said his father had been killed by security forces and his brother was in detention, his fate unknown. “Assad is a criminal, a tyrant and a dog,” he added.
Transition Of Power
The removal of Assad, who has not been heard from since the rebels’ claim, brings an end to more than 50 years of his family’s rule of the nation of about 23 million, which has been buffeted and fractured by more than a decade of civil war.
Rebel leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani announced the formation of a transitional authority. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali has said the government is ready for any handover of power as the rebels announce the “end of the era”.
The development in Syria has stunned Arab capitals and raised fears of a fresh wave of regional instability. It also marks a turning point for Syria, which has been shattered by years of war which has turned cities to rubble, killed hundreds of thousands of people, and forced millions abroad as refugees.
What Next For Syrians?
The end of Assad’s rule doesn’t mean peace for Syrians, given the links of rebels- HTS- with extremist groups like Al-Qaeda. With fears of another term of harsh and authoritarian rule under the rebels, millions of displaced Syrians, both within the country and abroad, face an uncertain future, which is unrealised.
HTS, with a violent past, has left no stone unturned to project itself as a nationalist force. However, many are not convinced and are equally concerned about their next planning after toppling the regime.
At the same time, the dramatic changes could lead to a dangerous power vacuum and eventually result in chaos and even more violence in a country already witnessing dramatic scenes.
Major Blow To Russia, Iran?
Iran is seeing the regime change as a major blow to their influence in the region. Under the Assad regime, Syria served as a connection between the Iranians and Hezbollah, and it was key for the transfer of weapons and ammunition to the group.
Assad’s downfall has undoubtedly disrupted the “Axis of Resistance” that connects Tehran to Hezbollah in Lebanon through Syria. Hezbollah itself has been weakened after a long-standing war with Israel, which continues.
Assad appeared to be largely on his own as it found its last ally Russia already occupied in war with Ukraine. Since its intervention in 2015, Russia has remained the Assad regime’s most unwavering ally, safeguarding strategic assets like the Tartous naval facility and the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia.
