Two British newspapers said Bashar al-Assad’s regime faces unprecedented challenges after the broad and rapid advance of opposition forces in several regions and the failure of its allies to provide it with the necessary support as before .
The British Economist magazine reported that the Assad regime – which it describes as a dictator – needed 4 years to reconquer Aleppo after part of the city fell to the opposition in 2012, while that the opposition has now taken control in less than 4 days.
She explained in a report that the timing of current events is not a coincidence. After Assad retook Aleppo in 2016, he needed a lot of help from his allies, which is why he received Russian air support and thousands of Lebanese Hezbollah members. along with other Iranian-backed groups.
But now – the newspaper continues – Assad cannot fully count on his allies, because Hezbollah has been subjected to violent blows from Israel, while Russia has been forced to withdraw thousands of its forces which were present in Syria after the outbreak of war against Ukraine in 2022. , and he is also frustrated by Assad’s refusal to reconcile with the Turkish president. Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Unprecedented challenges
But the magazine confirms, on the other hand, that Assad’s allies are unlikely to abandon him completely, because Moscow still maintains warplanes at the Hmeimim base, near the Mediterranean coast, even if it cannot not provide the same assistance that she previously gave him.
For its part, the British Guardian confirmed that the challenges facing the regime of Bashar al-Assad and its allies in Iran and Russia are “unprecedented”, while Moscow is plunged into war against Ukraine, while that Tehran tirelessly fights Israeli attacks which have targeted its army. networks and weakened its power in Syria.
The British newspaper adds that the Assad regime faces a grim situation during this war, not only because its traditional allies are suffering in their regions from the particular challenges they face, but also because the years of war have caused a significant collapse of the Syrian economy. not to mention that the internal situation is fragmented.
Dispersed system
But on the other hand, continues the Guardian, the opposition groups seem more disciplined and united than before, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
The Guardian explains that Russia, which is suffering over Ukraine, is unlikely to support the Assad regime as before and will likely seek to protect its naval bases along the Mediterranean Sea and secure strategic areas for the diet. protects its own interests, not those of Assad.
Iran – which was the lifeblood of the Assad regime – is also under severe pressure, as successive Israeli attacks have destroyed its military infrastructure, complicating its ability to intervene on a large scale, explains the Guardian.
She adds that Iran is unlikely to completely abandon the Assad regime and that its role could shift to fortifying key corridors, such as the one linking Damascus to the coast, and the land bridge linking it to Iraq. and in Lebanon.