Syria marks 1 year since Assad regime's fall

The streets of Damascus and Aleppo are bustling with preparations for celebrations marking the anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, observed today (Monday).

Residents have taken to the streets waving flags and commemorating the end of the dictatorship that fueled one of the deadliest civil wars in modern history.

In recent days, rare footage has surfaced of former President Bashar al-Assad from 2018, showing him driving through Damascus with journalist Luna al-Shibl. In the video, Assad is heard reacting angrily to posters against him in the city, cursing the residents who had suffered from his regime’s chemical attacks five years earlier.

Syria’s citizens, reflecting a year after Assad’s ousting, describe a dramatic shift in daily life, experiencing newfound freedom after 61 years of Ba'athist rule. Yet, the country remains far from stable. 

Many challenges persist under the leadership of Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former head of the extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which split from al-Qaeda and has reportedly received extensive support from the United States.

Al-Sharaa acknowledges that American aid comes with conditions but continues to press for Israel’s withdrawal from the security zone established following Assad’s fall. Speaking at the Doha Forum, he stated, “The Syrian people are once again gaining hope.”

Efforts are underway to ensure that al-Sharaa’s government remains stable and can guide the reconstruction of a nation scarred by years of war and bloodshed. One year after Assad’s fall, and amid broader changes in the Middle East following the Iron Swords War, the successful rehabilitation of Syria will require significant compromises from Damascus, including on its policies toward Israel.