The swift collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government has sent shockwaves through Tehran, dealing a severe blow to Iran’s “axis of resistance,” a key component of its foreign policy cultivated over decades. For 13 years, Iran funneled extensive resources into supporting Assad during Syria’s civil war. Yet, its efforts unraveled in mere days as Syrian rebels swiftly captured city after city, rendering Tehran’s investment futile and undermining its regional power projection.

 

This failure is compounded by a string of setbacks suffered by Hezbollah, a cornerstone of Iran’s resistance alliance. Once a force feared by armies across the region, Hezbollah faced a resounding defeat by Israel last month and is now grappling with the challenge of rebuilding, dependent on Iranian aid. 

 

“The resistance front has had a really hard year,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi admitted during an interview on state television. Still, he sought to emphasize the resilience of the alliance, pointing to Hamas’s continued attacks on Israel as a testament to its strength. “Nobody could have predicted that the front could be so strong,” he insisted. Yet, the collapse of Assad’s regime has left many doubting whether the alliance can survive intact. “Without Syria, we could see the entire axis of resistance just unravel,” a Western diplomat warned, speaking anonymously about the geopolitical implications.

 

Within Iran, the fall of Assad has sparked widespread criticism. Even staunch supporters of Tehran’s foreign policy have questioned the wisdom of pouring billions of dollars into a network that disintegrated so quickly. Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, a former member of parliament, expressed public discontent, writing on X, “Iranians can be happy. No one has the right to spend the nation’s dollars to maintain spiderwebs anymore.”

 

Just weeks prior, Tehran’s axis of resistance seemed ascendant, bolstered by Hamas’s audacious attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Iran’s allies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various factions in Iraq, rallied to Hamas’s cause, launching strikes on Israel and U.S. interests. Yet, rather than showcasing strength, these efforts revealed vulnerabilities. Israel responded decisively, neutralizing key leaders of both Hamas and Hezbollah while depleting their forces in Gaza and Lebanon.

 

Iran’s direct confrontation with Israel only further highlighted its challenges. In October, it launched around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, marking the largest attack in their shadow conflict. However, Israeli, U.S., and allied defenses intercepted most of the barrage, limiting its impact. Israel’s retaliatory strikes were devastating, targeting and destroying some of Iran’s most advanced military systems, including critical air defenses.  

 

Maria Luisa Fantappiè, a Middle East expert at the International Affairs Institute in Rome, critiqued Iran’s strategy. “Iran needs to rethink its strategy of proxies. The proxies have become more of a liability than an asset,” she observed. Iranian leaders had long argued that their network of militias provided a security buffer, enabling Iran to fight adversaries abroad. However, the recent conflict has undermined this rationale. “The axis is not an effective way to project power,” Fantappiè concluded. “On the contrary, it was projecting weakness.”

 

As Assad’s regime crumbled, Tehran’s top officials were conspicuously silent. When the Foreign Ministry finally broke its silence, it underscored the historic ties between Iran and Syria, a muted response reflecting the gravity of the situation.  

 

Iran now faces a stark reality: its carefully constructed regional strategy is faltering. The collapse of Assad’s government and the setbacks faced by Hezbollah mark a pivotal moment for Tehran’s axis of resistance, forcing a reassessment of its ambitions and methods in an increasingly hostile and unpredictable geopolitical landscape.

 

Based on a report by WP 2024-12-11

 

 

 

 

 

Russia has been pulling most of the strings over there, so it's a big blow on them too.

29 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Russia has been pulling most of the strings over there, so it's a big blow on them too.

Actually Russia was part of Assad's problem, as it hadn't enough resources to defend Assad.

 

It confirms how incompetent Putin is. Instead of being obsessed by the Soviet Union's past glory and trying to remain an influent superpower with a GDP at a the level of Spain or Italy, he should have focused on developing his country, like China did.

 

The irony is that he got played by the U.S. and its allies, in the same way the USSR had been weakened by Reagan. Forced to spend Russia's limited resources until there are barely any left! 😆

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

 

The swift collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government has sent shockwaves through Tehran, dealing a severe blow to Iran’s “axis of resistance,” a key component of its foreign policy cultivated over decades. For 13 years, Iran funneled extensive resources into supporting Assad during Syria’s civil war. Yet, its efforts unraveled in mere days as Syrian rebels swiftly captured city after city, rendering Tehran’s investment futile and undermining its regional power projection.

 

This failure is compounded by a string of setbacks suffered by Hezbollah, a cornerstone of Iran’s resistance alliance. Once a force feared by armies across the region, Hezbollah faced a resounding defeat by Israel last month and is now grappling with the challenge of rebuilding, dependent on Iranian aid. 

 

“The resistance front has had a really hard year,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi admitted during an interview on state television. Still, he sought to emphasize the resilience of the alliance, pointing to Hamas’s continued attacks on Israel as a testament to its strength. “Nobody could have predicted that the front could be so strong,” he insisted. Yet, the collapse of Assad’s regime has left many doubting whether the alliance can survive intact. “Without Syria, we could see the entire axis of resistance just unravel,” a Western diplomat warned, speaking anonymously about the geopolitical implications.

 

Within Iran, the fall of Assad has sparked widespread criticism. Even staunch supporters of Tehran’s foreign policy have questioned the wisdom of pouring billions of dollars into a network that disintegrated so quickly. Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, a former member of parliament, expressed public discontent, writing on X, “Iranians can be happy. No one has the right to spend the nation’s dollars to maintain spiderwebs anymore.”

 

Just weeks prior, Tehran’s axis of resistance seemed ascendant, bolstered by Hamas’s audacious attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Iran’s allies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various factions in Iraq, rallied to Hamas’s cause, launching strikes on Israel and U.S. interests. Yet, rather than showcasing strength, these efforts revealed vulnerabilities. Israel responded decisively, neutralizing key leaders of both Hamas and Hezbollah while depleting their forces in Gaza and Lebanon.

 

Iran’s direct confrontation with Israel only further highlighted its challenges. In October, it launched around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, marking the largest attack in their shadow conflict. However, Israeli, U.S., and allied defenses intercepted most of the barrage, limiting its impact. Israel’s retaliatory strikes were devastating, targeting and destroying some of Iran’s most advanced military systems, including critical air defenses.  

 

Maria Luisa Fantappiè, a Middle East expert at the International Affairs Institute in Rome, critiqued Iran’s strategy. “Iran needs to rethink its strategy of proxies. The proxies have become more of a liability than an asset,” she observed. Iranian leaders had long argued that their network of militias provided a security buffer, enabling Iran to fight adversaries abroad. However, the recent conflict has undermined this rationale. “The axis is not an effective way to project power,” Fantappiè concluded. “On the contrary, it was projecting weakness.”

 

As Assad’s regime crumbled, Tehran’s top officials were conspicuously silent. When the Foreign Ministry finally broke its silence, it underscored the historic ties between Iran and Syria, a muted response reflecting the gravity of the situation.  

 

Iran now faces a stark reality: its carefully constructed regional strategy is faltering. The collapse of Assad’s government and the setbacks faced by Hezbollah mark a pivotal moment for Tehran’s axis of resistance, forcing a reassessment of its ambitions and methods in an increasingly hostile and unpredictable geopolitical landscape.

 

Based on a report by WP 2024-12-11

 

 

 

 

 

No better time than now for Israel to deal a death blow to Hamas.  The Israelis also need to keep a close watch on Hezbollah.  Good on the U.S. for targeting ISIS bases in Syria.  And keep pounding the Houthis in Yemen.  As long as they continue to fire at international shipping and U.S. warships, Trump will have a difficult time saying, "We need to stay out of this." 

Look for Iran to concentrate their terrorist efforts in Iraq.  The big question is whether the Iraqis will cooperate. 

Another biggie is how much of a presence will Russia maintain in Syria.

2 minutes ago, candide said:

Actually Russia was part of Assad's problem, as it hadn't enough resources to defend Assad.

 

It confirms how incompetent Putin is. Instead of being obsessed by the Soviet Union's past glory and trying to remain an influent superpower with a GDP at a the level of Spain or Italy, he should have focused on developing his country, like China did.

 

The irony is that he got played by the U.S. and its allies, in the same way the S.U. had been weakened by Reagan. Forced to spend Russia's limited resources until there are barely any left! 😆

Yes, Reagan was accused of wasteful spending, but I think it was money well spent, bankrupting the USSR.

The bearded folks in Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria really need to abandon their medieval thinking and enter the 2020's. What's the point of waging endless wars of death and destruction? There is none. The whole of mankind wants peace and happiness.

Russian airbases needed as staging posts also come into it. Freedom for the Syrian people, not so much.

 

14 minutes ago, mokwit said:

Russian airbases needed as staging posts also come into it. Freedom for the Syrian people, not so much.

 

 

    Why is the mythical area labelled as *Greater Israel* highlighted in blue 

22 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

    Why is the mythical area labelled as *Greater Israel* highlighted in blue 

Probably because blue contrasts well with the other colour. That would be my guess.

4 minutes ago, mokwit said:

Probably because blue contrasts well with the other colour. That would be my guess.

 

   The Mediterranean sea is coloured yellow ?

Maybe the Mediterranean sea moved over a bit ?

Syria is an open-air museum. There are very few places on Earth with so many ancient sites. The arrival of the US-backed opposition in any Islamic country usually means that these beautiful people will first of all destroy all ancient monuments of non-Muslim origin.