Forces only took three days to take the city from Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but the Middle East’s newest conflict looks set to last

Summary

Syrian rebels, led by the jihadist group Hei’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a surprise offensive in Aleppo, capturing the city and exposing vulnerabilities in President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Assad’s forces are weakened as Russia diverts resources to Ukraine, withdrawing key military assets, and Iran faces setbacks from Israeli airstrikes on its proxies, including Hezbollah.

This shift in the balance of power allowed HTS to capitalize on Assad’s reduced support.

The conflict reignites instability in Syria’s northwest, threatening prolonged violence as Assad’s forces scramble to respond.