Fall of the Assad regime

Fall of the Assad regime

Part of the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives in the Syrian civil war, and the Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)
From top, clockwise: Abandoned government forces tank Rebels at a statue of Bassel al-Assad, later pulled down A destroyed image of Bashar al-Assad Opposition and Saudi Arabian flags displayed on an Syrian Army tank Rebels celebrating at the Umayyad mosque
Date	8 December 2024
Location	Syria
Organised by	Syrian opposition
Outcome	Syrian president Bashar al-Assad flees to Russia following the fall of Damascus[1] Collapse of pro-government forces and Ba'athist Syria[2] The Syrian opposition takes control of Damascus and most of Syria Establishment of the Syrian caretaker government Beginning of the Israeli invasion of Syria Beginning of the Assad loyalist insurgency in western Syria

This article is part of a series about Bashar al-Assad
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On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces. The offensive was spearheaded by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported mainly by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army as part of the ongoing Syrian civil war that began with the Syrian revolution in 2011. The capture of Syria's capital, Damascus, marked the end of the Assad family's rule, which had governed Syria as a hereditary totalitarian dictatorship since Hafez al-Assad assumed power in 1971 after a successful coup d'état.

As a rebel coalition advanced towards Damascus, reports emerged that Bashar al-Assad had fled the capital aboard a plane to Russia, where he joined his family, already in exile, and was granted asylum.^[3] Following his departure, opposition forces declared victory on state television. Concurrently, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his resignation and departure from Syria.^[4][5][6]

The swift fall of the Assad regime was met with shock and surprise throughout the world, including with the Syrian people. Syrian opposition fighters were reportedly surprised at how quickly the Syrian government had collapsed in the wake of their offensive.^[7] Analysts viewed the event as a significant blow to Iran's Axis of Resistance due to their use of Assad's Syria as a waypoint to supply arms and supplies to Hezbollah, a key ally.^[8][9] Several Western academics and geopolitical commentators likened the regime's collapse to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, comparing the broader geopolitical shifts that occurred after both events.