Hezbollah Secretary General: We Have Lost the Path to Secure Military Resources from Syria

Na'im Qassem, the Secretary General of Hezbollah Lebanon, stated that the militant group has lost its route for securing military resources through Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the ousted President of Syria. Although he did not mention Assad by name, he indicated that there is a possibility of a new regime emerging in Syria, which could restore normalcy to this route, or Hezbollah may need to seek alternative ways. Hezbollah, a militant group and political party, had been using Syria and Iraq to import weapons and military equipment from Iran to Lebanon during Assad's rule. Qassem mentioned that Hezbollah cannot judge new forces until they are stabilized and have clear positions, but he expressed hope that the people and governments of Lebanon and Syria can continue to cooperate. He also regarded the establishment of relations between the new Syrian government and Israel as a 'red line,' stating that he hopes they see Israel as an 'enemy,' as otherwise it would affect the relationship between this Iran-backed militant group and Syria. Since 2013, Hezbollah has been involved in the Syrian war to assist Assad in fighting against rebels aiming to overthrow him. In the past year, following the outbreak of conflicts in Gaza initiated by the extremist group Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the war has extended to southern Lebanon, leading to ongoing clashes and tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that the fall of Assad has confused Iranian officials. Five Iranian officials told the newspaper that Iran 'lost everything in 11 days' and is currently seeking to maintain any diplomatic relations with Syria. In response to Assad's fall, Ali Khamenei claimed that this action is the result of a 'joint plan by the U.S. and Israel.' Following Assad's fall and the capture of Damascus by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and its allies, Russia has begun withdrawing its forces and military equipment from Syria. News sources reported on Sunday, December 25, that Russian cargo planes, including Antonov-124 and Ilyushin-76, have flown from the Hmeimim base in western Syria to Libya. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies show that Russia is evacuating equipment from the Hmeimim base, with several helicopters observed on the base's premises. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty also reported that an Ilyushin-76 aircraft has landed at the Al-Jafra base in Libya. Russia intervened militarily in 2015 to support Assad in the Syrian civil war and established bases in Hmeimim and Tartus. However, with the defeat of government forces and Assad's flight from Syria, reportedly aided by Russia, Moscow's influence in Syria and the region has weakened. Western media have described this action by Russia as a 'slap in the face' to Moscow. Russia is now negotiating with the new Damascus officials to maintain its military bases in Syria. Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the Arab League and Turkey met in Jordan to discuss the power transition process in Syria. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States has established direct contact with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and other parties to convey messages about managing Syria during the transitional period. Blinken also reported an agreement on a joint statement to establish principles for the power transition in Syria, including the inclusiveness of governance and respect for minorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he has instructed his government to create mechanisms for sending food supplies to Syria. Zelensky wrote on X that Ukraine is ready to assist Syria in preventing a food crisis, 'especially through a humanitarian grain program from Ukraine.' During Assad's presidency, Syria imported food from Russia, but sources in both countries confirmed on Friday that wheat shipments from Russia to Syria have been suspended due to uncertainty regarding the situation and delays in payments. Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of grains and oilseeds to countries worldwide, including the Middle East, but had not previously exported to Syria. The Russian military invasion of Ukraine initially reduced grain exports through the Black Sea, but Kyiv managed to revive exports from the port of Odessa by breaking the naval blockade. Reports indicate that Qatar intends to reopen its embassy in Damascus. A delegation of Qatari diplomats is traveling to Damascus to negotiate with Syrian rebels. Qatar had closed its embassy in 2011 following the onset of protests against Assad. Turkey also announced that it will reopen its embassy in Damascus on December 24. According to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Ankara's aim is to strengthen relations and gradually return Syrian refugees to their country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently claimed that if regional divisions had not occurred after World War I, the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Damascus would have remained part of Turkey. His remarks faced severe criticism in Iran and Syria and were described as Erdogan's 'expansionist dream.' Erdogan emphasized that Turkey's military presence in Syria has been due to security concerns. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Arab countries, Turkey, and the U.S. gathered in Jordan to discuss the power transition in Syria following Assad's fall. A joint statement was issued at this meeting calling for the formation of an inclusive government and elections in Syria. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the goal of this meeting is to support Syria's territorial integrity and a peaceful power transition. For the first time, Blinken announced that the United States has had direct contact with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and other Syrian parties, stating that the purpose of these contacts is to convey messages about how to manage Syria during the transitional period. This is the first time U.S. officials have acknowledged direct contact with Tahrir al-Sham, which is recognized as a terrorist organization.