Hamshahri: Failure to heed Leader’s warnings led to Assad downfall

TEHRAN – In an interview with Asghar Zarei, an expert on West Asia, Hamshahri discussed the reason for the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

He said: The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria by the armed opposition has plunged the region into a wave of astonishment. Some are trying to influence the realities of the battlefield by raising doubts about Iran’s lack of effective role in the crisis. What we have seen in Syria in recent days shows the deep gaps created between the Assad government and the Syrian people. In such a situation, paying attention to the role of Iran is of particular importance. In the past, Iran was the only country that, along with the forces of the Resistance Front, countered ISIS and other Takfiri groups from Syria. In the meeting with Bashar al-Assad last June of this year, the Supreme Leader of the Revolution warned him to be careful of Western plans, but the former president of Syria did not pay attention to these warnings. Bashar Assad thought that he could survive with the support of the West and some Arab governments, but not much time passed and the Syrian government collapsed.

Siasat-e-Rooz: Strategic error led to Assad ouster

In a note, Siasat-e-Rooz dealt with the non-interference of Iran in the Syria conflict. It wrote: When ISIS appeared in Syria and the security conditions in Syria worsened, the government of this country requested help from the Islamic Republic of Iran through an official process. Iran’s presence in Syria was advisory. After the annihilation of ISIS, Iran’s advisory presence in Syria naturally decreased. In recent events, the presence of the highest level of Iranian officials to negotiate with Assad showed Iran’s serious determination to strengthen Assad’s government, but a strategic error caused Assad to fall. Assad was pleased with the promises of the Arab and Western countries in the region. When the Islamic Republic of Iran noticed Assad’s reluctance for support, it decided not to intervene, but it continued its efforts to convince Assad until the last moment. However, Assad realized that the promises of his enemies were fake but it was too late.

Kayhan: Netanyahu and ‘extremist’ reformists see eye-to- eye on Syria developments

In a commentary, Kayhan discussed the behavior of some reformists following the fall of the Assad government and said: The takfiri-terrorist group of “Tahrir al-Sham” has worn a deceptive mask, and by avoiding to record or publish violent acts in cyberspace it is trying to receive the least reaction from the public against itself. Now the “extremists” (in Iran) that claim support for reforms try to justify the behavior of this terrorist group. Such happiness is in line with the interests of the Zionist regime and its Western allies. It seems both Netanyahu and the so-called reformers see eye to eye and are jubilant over the developments in Syria and seek the disintegration of the Resistance Front. Therefore, the fall of Damascus and the emergence of Takfiri terrorists in Syria has become a source of joy and celebration among some reformist loyalists. This cannot be defined and analyzed simply as a “historical incident”, because even before in incidents such as internal riots the footprints and joint plans of the reform claimants and the Zionist regime were evident. 

Ettelaat: A heavy price paid

In an explanation, Ettelaat addressed Bashar Assad’s policy and his distance from Iran and said: According to the Financial Times, before the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Iran had lost trust in him. According to Saeed Laylaz, a reformist analyst, Assad was no longer an ally, and in fact, his time had run out. Defending him was no longer justified and continuing to support him was unreasonable and had unbearable costs. He had become an obstacle and some even called him a traitor. His passivity was costly for us. He aligned himself with regional actors that promised him a future that never materialized. According to analysts and politicians, some inside the Iranian government believed that Assad allied with Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates by promising to help him to reconstruct his war-stricken country in exchange for a distance from Iran. Assad turned his back on us when we needed him the most.