Assad regime on brink of collapse in Syria as rebel forces claim Damascus

The greater than 50-year Assad dynastic dictatorship was on the cusp of collapse on Sunday, as insurgent forces seized the capital of Damascus in a lightning offensive that has swept the nation’s largest cities in a matter of days.

The protection forces of the Russia and Iran-backed authorities have been struggling to stymy the insurgent advance that kicked off with the speedy sweep of northern metropolis Aleppo final week, breaking a years-long stalemate. The assault has been led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) —  which the U.S. and U.N. Safety Council designated as a terrorist group — and its allies, who’ve widened the scope of their marketing campaign to the south of the nation and now additionally captured the important thing cities of Hama and Deir el-Zor.

“We declare town of Damascus free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad,” Hassan Abdul-Ghani, senior HTS commander, stated in a put up on WhatsApp. “To the displaced folks around the globe, Free Syria awaits you.”

CNBC couldn’t independently confirm developments of the bottom.

The whereabouts of President Bashar al-Assad, who assumed management in 2000 after the demise of his father Hafez, have been unsure. A number of media studies, which CNBC couldn’t independently affirm, state he has fled Damascus.

Syrian Prime Minister Ghazi al-Jalali stated he remained at his residence and was ready to help the continuity of Syrian governance.

“We consider that Syria belongs to all Syrians and to all its residents, and that this nation could be a regular state, one which builds good relations with its neighbors with out getting into into any regional alliances or blocs,” he stated, in keeping with NBC Information reporting. “This matter is left to any management chosen by the Syrian folks, and we’re able to cooperate with them by offering all potential facilitation.”

A number of nations have evacuated their embassies amid the Damascus battle, with outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden “intently monitoring” the occasions and retaining contact with regional companions, in keeping with White Home Nationwide Safety Council Spokesman Sean Savett.

The advance on Damascus comes after militants reached Homs – the nation’s third-largest metropolis and a chokepoint between rebel-held territories and the capital metropolis. Holding Homs would pose vital challenges for the rebels, who must confront a focus of presidency forces and achieve the help of native pro-Assad Alawite communities, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Qutaiba Idlbi wrote on Dec. 5.

“Extra importantly, the rebels advancing towards Homs will take a look at Russia’s redlines in Syria. Thus far, Russia has been absent from offering critical army help to uphold Assad’s defenses throughout areas he is dropping to the rebels,” Idlbi added. “Whereas Russia has carried out some airstrikes in Idlib and Aleppo to counter insurgent advances, it has not engaged immediately in Hama. This restraint displays Moscow’s strategic calculations to keep away from overextension.”

Syria has been rocked by 13 years of civil battle, sparked by the March 2011 pro-democracy demonstrations towards repressive governmental rule, in lockstep with related regional uprisings in the course of the Arab Spring. The Assad administration answered the Syrian protests with lethal power, resulting in requires his resignation, nationwide unrest and the rise of opposition teams. Peace talks carried out individually by the U.N. and by Russia, Iran, and Turkey have but to bear fruit.

The Syrian escalations happen as Assad’s allies Russia and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have been more and more distracted by battle on their very own residence fronts, participating Ukraine and Israel, respectively. The Syrian unrest exacerbates the broader battle within the Center East, which was set off in October 2023 by a terror assault perpetrated by Palestinian militant group Hamas in Israel, resulting in the Jewish nation’s retaliatory army marketing campaign within the Gaza Strip and to its fireplace exchanges with Hezbollah, Yemeni Houthi and Iran.

“This lightning-fast offensive is a monumental shift within the Syrian battle and highlights the regime’s inherent weak point,” wrote Natasha Corridor, a senior fellow with the Center East Program on the Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research, additional noting that the “fragile stasis collapsed as Assad’s allies, Iran and Hezbollah, have been considerably weakened” by Israeli army offensives, whereas “Russia has been slowed down in Ukraine and unrest in Georgia.”

Markets have been watching the army developments for indicators of an impression on provides within the oil-rich Center East, in addition to additional commerce disruptions alongside crucial commerce routes.