Russia and Iran have supported Syrian President Bashar Assad for years.
AdvertisementRussia's gateway to the MediterraneanSyria holds strategic importance for Moscow and Tehran, which have both supported Syrian President Bashar Assad's embattled regime.
Advertisement"For Iran, Syria is absolutely essential in order to maintain its proxy network," Hall said.
Speaking to NBC News, national security advisor Jake Sullivan said that Assad's three key backers, Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah, had all "been distracted and weakened by conflicts elsewhere."
AdvertisementFor Russia and Iran, the fall of Aleppo will nevertheless come as a humiliating blow, Hall said.
Persons:
Bashar Assad, Hayat, Bashar Assad's, Wagner, Natasha Hall, Vladimir Putin, Riboua, Assad, Putin, Steven Cook, Enrico Mattei, Cook, Jake Sullivan, Hall
Organizations:
Middle, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Hudson Institute's Center for Peace, Security, Hezbollah, Africa Studies, Council, Foreign Relations, Russian Ministry of Defense, NBC News
Locations:
Russia, Syria, Iran, Here's, Moscow, Tehran, Aleppo, Africa, East, Saudi Arabia, Sahel, Libya, Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut, Lebanon, Lebanese, Israel, Middle East, reimpose, Gaza, Ukraine