Writing from Damascus, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited capital, it feels necessary to honour the memory of the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who made the ultimate sacrifice so the country could arrive at this moment of opportunity.
They endured torture and often gave their lives for our collective freedoms, including the freedom to think and write without fear. They died in the fight for Syria to be returned to its people.
When Bashar al-Assad took flight, with him flew the illusion that Syria was trapped for eternity. His departure also signalled the end of Iran’s expansionist ambitions in the region, almost 45 years after Tehran declared its intention to export its revolution, which in effect meant occupation through other means.
Jewel in the crown
Syria was crucial to Iran’s regional strategy. It served as its most important connection point, the key to the Mediterranean, a corridor for arms smuggling, a hub for the production of drugs sold across the Middle East, and a platform for threatening neighbouring countries.
Iran was never likely to surrender this loss of influence without resistance, but its grip on other allies has suddenly loosened, with Israel having dealt such a decisive blow to Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities.
Frustrated, and seeking solace from its losses, Iran has resorted to fomenting sectarian tensions and inciting civil war in Syria. The most significant threat came from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. During a religious gathering in Tehran, when he predicted the emergence of a “noble and strong group” in Syria.
He urged “the brave youth of Syria” to overthrow the interim government, adding: “Syrian youth have nothing to lose. Their universities, schools, homes, and entire lives are unsafe, so what can they do? They must stand with strong willpower against those who planned and executed this state of insecurity, and they will overcome them, God willing.”
Stoking division
Prior to Khamenei’s remarks, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Abbas Araghchi issued a more cautious statement, urging those celebrating Syria’s victory to “wait and see what happens, as there are many future developments”.
