The Geopolitical Situation in Syria: Withdrawal and Caution

The fall of Assad became apparent as the support from his allies began to falter. Neither Iranian-backed nor Hezbollah-supported forces were expected to provide effective ground defense. Initially, Russian fighter jets bombed the militias, but with the rapid advances of the opposition, Moscow's military support for the Assad-loyal rebels increasingly diminished. Additionally, satellite images show that Russia has apparently moved several of its ships from Syrian naval bases to the open sea. A Kremlin representative, quoted in Russian state media, reported that Syrian opposition leaders had assured the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic facilities. According to Russian military bloggers, however, the situation around these bases is extremely tense, and the duration of the security promise remains unclear. Israel is maintaining a cautious stance and has sent tanks to the buffer zone with Syria to prevent the unrest from spilling over into its own territory. Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized, however, that the armed forces would intensify airstrikes on Syrian weapons depots. A wide range of advanced weapon types are targeted, from surface-to-air missiles to cruise missiles and long-range missiles.