(Worthy Insights) – With Hezbollah decimated, Iran significantly weakened, and Russia preoccupied with its war on Ukraine, Syrian opposition forces enjoyed ripe conditions for the surprise offensive they launched last week. Those forces are closer than ever to deposing dictator Bashar al-Assad, experts told the Washington Free Beacon, emphasizing the Iranian regime’s ever-loosening grip on the Middle East.
The reignited Syrian war, which has dragged on for 13 years, will pose fresh challenges for the incoming Trump administration as it grapples with a Middle East already inflamed by a year of war between Israel and Iran-backed forces across the region. It is this very conflict, regional analysts and former U.S. national security officials say, that set the stage for Syria’s armed rebel forces to reclaim Aleppo, a key stronghold, and set their sites on the capital city, Damascus.
The key player in the coming battle for control of Syria is Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is backing anti-Assad forces and likely played a role in initiating their stunning offensive. These forces are primarily composed of Islamist militias controlled by Hayʼat Tahrir ash-Sham, a U.S.-designated terror group. On the other side is Assad, a brutal dictator who relies on support from Iran and Russia. [ Source (Read More…) ]