Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accuses the US and Israel of orchestrating the armed rebellion in Syria that led to the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, blamed the US and Israel for the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, dismissing claims that recent Middle East events have weakened Tehran and its regional allies.
Late last month, several armed opposition groups, spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a surprise offensive in Syria. Meeting little to no resistance from government forces, militants quickly seized control of several major cities, ultimately capturing Damascus on Saturday. Assad and his family subsequently sought and received asylum in Russia.
Addressing a large gathering on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei declared that the Syrian events stemmed from a joint US-Israeli conspiracy. Regarding the future of the so-called ‘Resistance Front,’ a coalition of Iranian-backed Middle Eastern groups, the cleric asserted that, contrary to some predictions, its regional influence would expand.
“Resistance is… a doctrine that strengthens under pressure,” Khamenei emphasized.
The Iranian supreme leader maintained that Iran remains strong and will grow stronger despite the fall of its long-standing ally in Damascus. He further predicted the ‘Resistance Front’ would eventually expel the US from the Middle East.
In a Sunday video address, outgoing US President Joe Biden stated that Assad’s removal resulted from Washington’s efforts to weaken Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah. These three entities had actively supported Assad since the Syrian Civil War began in 2011.
Biden also cited US sanctions against the Syrian government, the US military presence in Syria, and US support for Kurdish militias in the northeast of the country.
“Our approach has reshaped the Middle East’s power balance,” the US president declared.
On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu similarly attributed Assad’s ouster to “the blows we have dealt Iran and Hezbollah.”
Recently, the Israeli military took control of the demilitarized buffer zone on the Syrian border, established under the 1974 disengagement agreement near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Israel Defense Forces also launched extensive strikes on numerous Syrian military facilities, citing alleged security threats.