Syrian Foreign Minister Claims Imminent Victory for Bashar al-Assad's Government

On Saturday, October 1st, U.S.-backed militia forces in Syria managed to capture an important gas field in Deir ez-Zor province. On the same day, the Syrian Foreign Minister announced at the United Nations that the imminent victory of Bashar al-Assad's government was near. According to Reuters, the Syrian Democratic Forces, composed of Arab and Kurdish members, reported the capture of a significant natural gas field named Conoco in eastern Deir ez-Zor. This group, supported by the United States, has been battling the Islamic State (ISIS) in this eastern province for several weeks. ISIS has been forced to fight on two fronts in Deir ez-Zor: against the U.S.-backed militia on one side and the Syrian army, supported by Iran and Russia, on the other. Three days ago, it was reported that government forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad, engaged in battle with ISIS in Deir ez-Zor, crossed the Euphrates River and moved to its eastern bank, where U.S.-led coalition forces are present. On Saturday in New York, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem spoke at the UN General Assembly and declared from the podium that the victory of Bashar al-Assad's government over hostile forces in the country is near. According to this Syrian official, victories in Aleppo and Palmyra, the lifting of the siege of Deir ez-Zor, and the cleansing of large areas of the country from terrorists all 'prove that victory is near.' Alongside the successive defeats of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, it seems that Bashar al-Assad's government in Damascus is also confident that after nearly seven years of civil war, it can once again achieve stability. Mr. Assad has become so confident in his victory that he recently congratulated Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in a letter on this victory. The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also promised on Thursday, September 30th, that Iran would celebrate the destruction of ISIS 'within two months' alongside Russia and Syria. On Saturday, the Syrian Foreign Minister also welcomed the establishment of de-escalation zones in parts of the country and expressed hope that this action would be a 'real end to hostilities.' Iran, Russia, and Turkey have established four de-escalation zones in Syria as part of the Astana negotiations, which have been held in several rounds for months, aimed at reducing conflicts between hostile groups. Last week, the head of the Russian delegation in the Astana negotiations stated that the chances of reaching an agreement to create a fourth de-escalation zone in Syria are 'very close.' However, the Syrian Foreign Minister emphasized on Saturday that these de-escalation zones are temporary and 'should not harm the territorial integrity of Syria.' This point indicates that Bashar al-Assad's government, like critics of the de-escalation zone plan, is concerned about the disintegration of the country. In response to this criticism, Turkey, Iran, and Russia have emphasized the temporary nature of these zones and denied that their goal is the disintegration of the country. In this context, an airstrike attributed to Israel targeted a military warehouse near Damascus airport.