The Financial Times, citing a source within the Iranian government, reported that Tehran had lost its trust in Bashar al-Assad long ago.
The source told the Financial Times, “Bashar al-Assad‘s inaction cost us dearly. He aligned himself with regional actors who promised him a future that never materialized.”
According to the report, Tehran had been “disappointed” with Bashar al-Assad for over a year. Some considered him an obstacle and a burden, while others labeled him a traitor.
The newspaper quoted its source saying that in a recent meeting with Abbas Araghchi, Bashar al-Assad had stated that his forces’ withdrawal from Aleppo was “tactical.” However, Iran’s foreign minister responded that Iran was no longer in a position to send additional forces to support him.
Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi stated during a televised interview on Sunday night that Bashar al-Assad had not requested military assistance from Tehran.
In the past 24 hours, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, harsher criticisms of him have emerged in Iranian media.
For instance, on Sunday night, the state-run Iranian TV news channel aired a program in which an expert named Asghar Zarei harshly criticized Bashar al-Assad, mentioning “the troubles he caused” in his dealings with Iran.
In an interview with state TV, Zarei stated, “Rebuilding Iran’s position will be very challenging,” and added, “We must ensure that this does not happen in Iraq or Yemen.”
The Financial Times also described Assad’s fall, after his family’s over five-decade rule over Syria, as a devastating blow to Iran’s foreign policy.
Tehran has, for decades, based its strategy on the “Axis of Resistance” against the U.S. and Israel, utilizing a network of proxy forces across the region.
Syria was a key link in this chain, serving as a gateway for financing and arming Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen. This link has now been severed with Damascus falling into the hands of Assad’s opposition.
However, a senior Israeli official told the Financial Times that Tel Aviv does not expect Iran’s influence in its backyard to disappear easily.
