Blinken: Advances of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Indicate Assad's Supporters Are Preoccupied with Other Issues

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the rapid advances of the Islamist group 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' in Syria indicate that the supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are preoccupied with other issues and that their 'attention' has been diverted from Syrian matters. Blinken explained that Assad's main allies, including Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah militants, are each 'busy' and caught up in other issues. He noted that Russia is engaged in the ongoing war in Ukraine, while Hezbollah is involved in a conflict with Israel in Lebanon that has recently reached a ceasefire. He added, 'It seems that Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham has taken advantage of this situation.' The U.S. officially designated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization in 2018. The European Union, the UK, Turkey, and several other countries have also listed this group as terrorist. Russia is a key ally of Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war, and its military intervention in 2015 changed the course of the war in favor of Assad's government, but the war in Ukraine has limited its military resources. The Islamic Republic of Iran has also been involved in aerial military clashes with Israel following the outbreak of the Gaza and then Lebanon wars. Blinken called for a reduction in hostilities in Syria and ensured that civilians are not harmed. He also stated that Assad's refusal to cooperate with the UN political process to end the civil war in Syria has 'opened the door to attacks by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.' In recent details about the operations of rebels in Syria and armed groups, it has been reported that rebels have made significant advances in the past week, including capturing Aleppo and clashing with government forces and their allies near Hama. Russia, as Assad's main ally, has intensified its airstrikes on rebel targets in response to these advances, but reports indicate that rebel advances continue. Rebel forces in Syria have reached the gates of the key city of Hama, and a war monitoring body in the country reported that these clashes have created a 'widespread wave of refugees.' Meanwhile, Russia and the United States accused each other of supporting 'terrorism' in Syria during an emergency UN Security Council meeting. The leader of the Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Muhammad al-Julani, who commanded a rebel assault to capture Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo, over the past weekend, visited the historic citadel of the city on Wednesday. Images released on the rebels' Telegram channel show al-Julani waving to his supporters from an open-top vehicle while visiting this historic fortress. According to AFP, the UN announced on Wednesday that more than 115,000 people have recently been displaced in the Idlib and Aleppo provinces of Syria.