BASHAR Al-Assad has reportedly left Syria for an unknown destination. His regime, which has been teetering since the beginning of the Arab Spring, has collapsed like a house of cards.
Syria and Bahrain were the only two States to have survived the revolutionary upheaval. For analysts worldwide, it has come as a surprise. Since October 7, 2023, Assad had played it safe. He feared giving a free hand to Iran and Hezbollah against Israel via Syria’s territory. He knew that any open support to his allies in the region could cost him his regime at the hands of Israel and the US.
On the other hand, his allies, Russia and Iran, were already reeling under stress. Russia in Ukraine and Iran with Israel. It seems that the rebels sniffed an opportunity and started the march.
Who are these rebels? Of the many rebel or combatant groups operating and controlling parts of Syria, the group that has made Assad flee is called Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTAS). It is led by Abu Mohammad Al-Jolani.
