What Does the Fall of Assad Mean for the US and Other Global Powers?

After rebel coalition supported by Turkey overthrew Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, uncertanties linger on what Syria’s future could look like.

Low Hopes: Jeffrey Blehar (Lean Right bias) of National Review (Right bias) condemned the Assad family’s “half century of tyranny” but warned readers, “Don’t expect anything much better. You’d be a fool to be an optimist.” Blehar highlighted that the rebel leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has been designated a “global terrorist” by the U.S. State Department, and argued “there are still ways that things could get worse for Syrians.”

Geopolitical Consequences: David Patrikarakos of UnHerd (Center bias) described the events as a win for Israel, which now sees Hezbollah more isolated from Iran, and Turkey, which will be able to “further degrade” the Kurds in northern Syria. He described the events as “bad news” for Russia, which will lose key defense positions. Patrikarkos also drew parallels to the fall of Libyan ruler Muammar Ghaddafi, which was celebrated at the time, but resulted in “predictably disastrous consequences.”

Regional Nuances: Seyed Hossein Mousavian wrote in an opinion for Middle East Eye (Left bias) that Turkey is the “main winner” in Syria, and the U.S. and West are winners in the short term, but noted that the U.S. and Turkey’s different stances on the Kurds could eventually spawn instability. Mousavian also described the fall of Assad as a significant loss for Iran, but noted the rebel groups have “an affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood” which “several Arab countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan, are opponents of.”