The swift collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime represents a devastating defeat for Iran, the latest in a string of setbacks that have punctured long held assumptions in the West about Tehran’s military prowess. As the rebels pressed ahead, there was no concerted effort to stop the advance with Russian warplanes or Iranian-backed proxy forces. “Assad was effectively abandoned because his only friends ... Iran, Hezbollah and Russia, no longer had the capacity to help,” the official added. The United States and other governments had feared an Israeli attack on Iran would produce an overwhelming response against Israel by Iran’s proxies. Those officers had decades of experience in Syria and a network of contacts among the militants in Iran’s proxy network, including Iraqis, Afghans, Pakistanis, Yemenis and others.

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Persons: Bashar al, Assad, ”, “ Assad, Iran’s, “, Israel, Norman Roule, Alex Vatanka, Vatanka, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, ” Abtahi, Roule, Soleimani, ” Roule, Qassem Soleimani, ’, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, Yahya Sinwar, Marc Polymeropoulos, ” Polymeropoulos, Sen, Andy Kim, ” Kim, Donald Trump, ” Vatanka Organizations: Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Russian, Biden, U.S ., United Against Nuclear, Middle East Institute, Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guard Corps ’, Revolutionary Guard Corps ’ Quds Force, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Force, CIA, MSNBC, U.N Locations: Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Tehran, Russia, Damascus, Iranian, Iraq, Aleppo, Israel, Washington, United States, Gaza, Yemen, U.S, United Against Nuclear Iran, Revolutionary Guard Corps ’ Quds, Baghdad, Yemenis