US president-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar Assad had "fled his country" after losing the backing of Russia. "Assad is gone," he said on his Truth Social platform. "His protector, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. Russia had no reason to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine. Russia and Iran are now in a weak position, one, because of Ukraine and a bad economy, and two because of Israel and its success in fighting."
On Saturday Trump said the U.S. military should stay out of the fast-escalating conflict in Syria. "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump declared on social media. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT," he said in his post.
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Photo of ousted Syrian president vandalized in Damascus
(Photo: Orhan Qereman / Reuters)
If Russia were forced out of Syria, it "may actually be the best thing that can happen to them" because "there was never much of a benefit in Syria for Russia," Trump said.
Trump said it was also time for a ceasefire in Ukraine claiming that Kyiv wanted to reach a deal "to end the madness" after suffering a staggering loss of 400,000 soldiers and many civilians. He said negotiations should start immediately suggesting China could help in the process to bring Russia to agree to end the war.
Rebels in the Assad presidential palace
Officials in the Middle East discussed the failure of Iran's policies in the region after Hezbollah suffered defeat in the war with Israel, Hamas' many military losses and, now, the fall of the Assad regime which was a major facilitator of weapons' supplies to Hezbollah in Lebanon and of pro-Iran militias positioned near the Syrian border with Israel.
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An advisor to the president of the UAE said Iran's policy of deterrence has collapsed but added that Tehran is still an important regional factor and a dialogue with its leaders was necessary.
An official in Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the fall of Assad's regime is "the fall of the Axis' Berlin Wall," and added, "In 11 days, we lost everything we fought for for 13 years."