From Iran To Israel: World Reacts To End Of Assad’s Rule In Syria

The opposition advance came after 13 years of brutal war, putting an end to more than half a century of the rule of the al-Assad family. The rapid rebel gains were accompanied by a lack of support from Assad's allies, Russia and Iran. His primary international backer, Russia, is preoccupied with its war in Ukraine, while Iran’s regional proxies have been weakened by regular Israeli airstrikes.

Also Read | An Unexpected End To The Assad Regime in Syria

From Iran and Russia to Israel, here’s a look at key international reactions to the news.

• Iran

Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement that Iran respects Syria's unity and national sovereignty and called for "the swift end of military conflicts, the prevention of terrorist actions, and the commencement of national dialogue" with all sectors of Syrian society. Tehran said it would continue to support international mechanisms for pursuing the political process, adding that long-standing and friendly relations between the Iranian and Syrian nations are expected to continue.

Iran has been a staunch supporter of Assad throughout its 13-year civil war. 

• Russia

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Assad had resigned from the presidency after talks with the sides involved in the conflict and had left the country, without saying where he has gone.

“As a result of talks between B. Assad and a range of participants of the conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he took the decision to resign from his presidential post and leave the country, giving instructions to proceed with the peaceful transfer of power,” the ministry said.

“Russia did not take part in these talks.”

The ministry also said Russian soldiers at their bases in Syria are on high alert but that there is no immediate threat to them.

• Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Syria’s government “had collapsed and control of the country is changing hands”.

Speaking at the Doha Forum in Qatar, Fidan said that “this didn’t happen overnight. For the last 13 years, the country has been in turmoil” since war began with al-Assad’s repression of democracy protests in 2011.

“Terrorist organisations must not be allowed to take advantage of this situation. Opposition groups must be united. We will work for stability and safety in Syria,” he added.

“The new Syria should not pose a threat to neighbours, it should eliminate threats.”

Turkey, which shares a 911-kilometre-long frontier with Syria, has been a main backer of opposition groups aiming to topple Assad since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011. While Turkish officials have rejected claims of any involvement, observers believe that the offensive, which appears to be aligned with Turkey's long-time goals, could not have gone ahead without Ankara's consent.

• Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the fall of al-Assad, a major ally of Iran, as an “historic day” and said it was a direct result of blows dealt to Hezbollah and Iran by Israel.

He said that Israel has seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria after Syrian forces abandoned their positions.

“We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border,” he added.

• China

Beijing “is closely following the development of the situation in Syria and hopes that Syria returns to stability as soon as possible”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The Chinese government has actively assisted Chinese citizens who are willing to leave Syria in a safe and orderly way, and has maintained contact with … Chinese citizens who remain in Syria,” the ministry said.

“We urge the relevant Syrian parties to take practical measures to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Syria,” it added.

“At present, the Chinese embassy in Syria is still holding strong, and we will continue to provide full assistance to Chinese citizens in need.”

• Qatar

Qatar’s foreign ministry warned Syria must not be allowed to descend into chaos after the ouster of al-Assad.

The Gulf country said it was “closely monitoring the developments in Syria” and emphasised “the necessity of preserving national institutions and the unity of the state to prevent it from sliding into chaos”.

• United States

“President [Joe] Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners,” the White House said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, President-elect Donald Trump said al-Assad had “fled his country” after losing the backing of Russia.

“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer.

“There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.”

• United Nations

“What is important is that we are able to find a situation where there is a political way out of this,” Geir Pedersen, UN envoy to Syria, said.

“And that political way needs to be very different from what it has been before, it needs to be a process that is inclusive of everyone, and where we really focus on the need for unity, stability, where Syria is able to restore its sovereignty and its territory. There are lots of wounds that need to be healed."