Hezbollah Lebanon Declares 'Victory' in Syria

On Tuesday, September 12, Hezbollah Lebanon declared 'victory' in Syria, while the commander of Russian forces in Syria stated that the forces of Bashar al-Assad's government have managed to liberate 85 percent of the country's territory from the control of opposition militants. According to Reuters, the simultaneous statements from Hezbollah and Russia, both allies of Bashar al-Assad, represent the strongest declaration of victory since the beginning of the Syrian civil war. The Syrian government forces have recently managed to reclaim eastern parts of the country from ISIS, while the joint Kurdish and Arab forces in the US-backed coalition have also been engaged in battles against ISIS in the same areas. The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar published statements from Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, declaring 'victory' in the Syrian war, adding that 'this victory will be completed with a few more scattered operations.' Hassan Nasrallah, who has sent thousands of his militants to assist Assad's government in Syria in recent years, made these remarks internally within the Hezbollah organization and among Shia mourners and preachers ahead of the month of Muharram, but some sources have confirmed the accuracy of his statements to Reuters. According to Nasrallah, 'the opponent's plan has failed, and they are now proposing negotiations to achieve some goals, but victory in our plan, for which we have also suffered greatly, is near, and its significant results will change equations.' Al-Akhbar reported that Nasrallah also mentioned that early in the Syrian war, he traveled to Iran to meet with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and told him: 'If we do not fight in Damascus, we will soon fight in Baqaa and Dahieh (in Lebanon), and the leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran also said that not only in these areas but also in Kerman, Khuzestan, and Tehran, we must fight them; this front (of resistance) has several axes; the axis of Iran, the axis of Lebanon, and the axis of Syria, and we must strive to ensure the commander of the axis (Syria), Bashar al-Assad, is victorious.' The Syrian war has turned the country into a pile of ruins over the past six years; millions have been displaced; hundreds of thousands have been killed, and millions have fled to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Europe, with refugees reaching the United States and Canada. Dozens of fighting groups have divided the country into various parts, and fierce battles among them, on one side with forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad and on the other among themselves, have complicated the situation. Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia have positioned themselves alongside the Syrian army to assist Bashar al-Assad's government with his permission. In the Syrian war, Gulf monarchies and other countries, including Turkey, have been accused of supporting some of the opposition, but ultimately their investment in these fighters has failed. The United States has participated in their victories over ISIS in recent years by forming a joint Kurdish and Arab coalition and providing training, logistical, and military support. Until September 2015, when Russia deployed its air force to assist Assad's government in Syria, the opposition had made significant advances, and Assad's government controlled only one-third of the country's territory or even less. The entry of Russian air power into the battlefield changed the military configuration in favor of Assad's regime. Assad's army forces, especially in the past year, have succeeded in taking control of areas that were important strongholds for the opposition in major cities like Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus. A ceasefire reached about four months ago with the agreement of Russia, Turkey, Iran, and the United States, known as de-escalation zones, particularly included southern parts of Syria, reducing pressure on Assad's forces and allowing them to advance in the oil-rich areas of the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor along the Euphrates River. The advance of the Syrian army forces in Deir ez-Zor reached a new stage last week, and they managed to break the siege of ISIS forces on the government-held section and the surrounding airbase. These successes occurred while Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, who visited Damascus, met with Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday. Shortly before the meeting between the Russian Defense Minister and Bashar al-Assad, Alexander Lapin, the head of the Russian forces stationed in Syria, stated that Assad's army has managed to reclaim 85 percent of the country's territory that was under the control of 'illegal militants.' General Lapin, speaking at the Hmeimim airbase in the port city of Latakia, added that Syria still needs to liberate another 15 percent of its territory, equivalent to 27,000 square kilometers, from the control of ISIS and other opposition groups. Part of northern Syria is held by the Kurdish and Arab Democratic Forces in the US-backed coalition; the Kurdish forces in this coalition have never engaged in battle with Assad's army and have only fought against ISIS, especially to reclaim the city of Raqqa, the center of the Islamic caliphate. Meanwhile, Syrian television reported on Tuesday about clashes between government forces and opposition in the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor. Major General Hussein Suhail, the commander of government forces in this region, emphasized in an interview with the country's television that the only escape route for the opposition is across the Euphrates River, and according to him, 'God willing, we will drown them in the water before they escape.' Nevertheless, according to Reuters' assessment, aside from the parts of Syrian territory controlled by the Democratic Forces coalition and apart from areas still under the control of remaining ISIS forces, Assad's army has not yet managed to dominate parts of the northwest, southwest, an area in the outskirts of Damascus, and also a section in the north of the city of Homs. However, according to this news agency, the repeated attacks by Assad's army in the Eastern Ghouta region near Damascus indicate that his loyal forces have not given up on efforts to regain control over areas in the west, including the hills bordering Turkey, Jordan, and Israel. General Issam Zahreddine, commander of the 104th Airborne Brigade of the Syrian Presidential Guard, whose forces were besieged by ISIS in Deir ez-Zor for three years, warned on Monday following recent military successes that Syrians who took up arms now that the war is in its final stages have no way to return.