Iran blames Syrian army's weakness for Assad's fall

Iran’s Foreign Minister has attributed the fall of the government of President Bashar al-Assad to the inability of the Syrian military to confront armed groups that took over many areas, including the capital Damascus, in a lightning offensive.

On December 8, Abbas Araghchi stated that the recent developments in Syria were clear, emphasizing it was the Syrian army's duty to counter anti-government groups, Caliber.Az reports per Iranian media.

We also knew that there always existed a behind-the-scenes plot by the United States and the Zionist regime to cause the Axis of Resistance to suffer one after another, he noted. 

Araghchi said that Iran’s security and intelligence apparatuses were fully aware of the acts of the armed groups in Idlib and other areas, and all relevant information had been transferred to the Syrian government and army. "If the Syrian army had resisted, even Aleppo would not have fallen".

The crisis in Syria was a bit natural following the developments in Gaza and Lebanon, the top Iranian diplomat said, adding, "What was surprising was the inability of the Syrian army to confront the movement of the armed groups, and the second was the speed of the movements. 

Referring to his recent meeting with the toppled Syrian president, Araghchi revealed that even Assad was surprised and complaining about the state of his own army. 

He also touched on Iran-Syria relations, saying the two countries have been cooperating with each other for over four decades and one of the areas of collaboration has been resistance.

To recap, early on December 8, the Syrian army command informed officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s authoritarian rule had come to an end, signalling a major shift in the Middle East. Syrian rebels declared Damascus "now free of Assad," with plans to make their first statement to the nation via state television.

Two senior military officials confirmed that Assad had fled Damascus for an unknown location earlier in the day as the capital fell under rebel control.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated that an IL-76 aircraft operated by Syrian Air—presumed to carry Assad—disappeared from radar less than an hour after departing Damascus airport, coinciding with reports of the city’s capture by rebels.

By Aghakazim Guliyev