La Pro-Turkish rebel coalition advances unstoppably towards Damascus, with Homs now at the center of the conflict. With the "support" of Turkish President Erdogan, the rebels, after having conquered Aleppo and Hama, are now targeting this strategic city, the last great bastion before the Syrian capital. Located just 160 kilometers from Damascus, Homs is a strategic logistics hub. Its fall would represent not only a devastating blow to the connections between government strongholds, but also a hard blow to the morale of the pro-regime forces. According to local sources, taken from Reuters, Syrian rebels are reportedly about to enter Homs from the north and east.
Despite declarations of support for the Assad government, Iran sees the withdrawal of its pro-Iranian forces, While the Russia urges its citizens to leave the country. Meanwhile, the rebel leader Abu Muhammad al-Jolani attempts to reassure the West, stressing the commitment to respecting religious minorities.
The strategic importance of Homs
Homs It stands at the crossroads of two major highways: the M5, which connects the north to the south of the country, and the M1, which leads to the Mediterranean coast and Latakia, another loyalist stronghold. The rebels have already occupied the city's northern ring road, putting strategic connections under fire. If they were to advance to the southern ring road, they could permanently cut off fast connections between Damascus and the coast, isolating the regime and fragmenting its territorial control.
In addition to its logistical significance, the fall of Homs would have a devastating psychological impact for the government army. Assad's troops are already in a state of deep insecurity, watching each other to decide whether to continue fighting or abandon their positions. A retreat from Homs would represent a sign of distrust in the regime's future, further encouraging the rebels' advance. Conversely, a successful resistance could indicate a residual capacity to defend Damascus.
Homs is also a symbol of resistance and violence. In 2011 fu the first city to rebel against Assad, suffering a bloody siege that left its inhabitants starving. During that siege, the government army bombed the city relentlessly, causing the deaths of civilians and journalists, including the American Marie Colvin and the French photographer Rémi Ochlik. The city, with its ethnically and religiously mixed composition, has also been the scene of sectarian violence between the Sunni majority, the Alawite minority, and the Christians.
The rebels are at the gates of Damascus
The rebels' advance towards Damascus continues unstoppably from several directions. According to some media, after taking control of Sanmin, The rebels are only 20 kilometers from the capital. Meanwhile, rumors are beginning to circulate that the rebels have reached a suburb northeast of Damascus, in the Druze and Christian neighborhood of Jaramana.
To the east of Homs, however, anti-regime forces have occupied Qaryatayn, a strategic position along the road to Palmyra. At the same time, the Assad regime is abandoning several key positions, including the T-4 airbase near Palmyra, concentrating its forces in Damascus in a desperate attempt to organize a defense.
In the south, the regime is in serious trouble. A Suwayda, a city inhabited mainly by Druze, the population rebelled, breaking the traditional support of religious minorities for the government. Turn on, the rebels have disregarded past reconciliation agreements, confident that the regime is no longer capable of regaining control of the region. From there, the insurgents have advanced north, capturing locations such as Izraa, ever closer to Damascus.
The pro-Turkish coalition has broken down government defenses in several regions, creating a domino effect that threatens the regime's stability. The progressive isolation of Damascus and Latakia makes the unsustainable situation for Assad, which could be found forced to withdraw completely from the capital. But in the meantime, the whereabouts of the Syrian leader remain a mystery.
Are the hours numbered for Bashar al-Assad?
Since last Sunday, Bashar al-Assad has not appeared in public again, sparking rumors of a possible escape abroad. Some sources place him in Moscow with his family, others in the United Arab Emirates, already active in promoting mediation for the Syrian conflict, while others still hypothesize a refuge in Tehran. At the moment, none of these hypotheses have been confirmed.
In the previous days, the First Lady Asthma, suffering from cancer, was in Moscow for the graduation ceremony of her eldest son Hafez. On that occasion, Assad reportedly met Vladimir Putin, then returning to Damascus on December 1 to receive Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Since then, the president has disappeared from the public eye.
Meanwhile, according to the Wall Street Journal, Egyptian and Jordanian officials reportedly advised Assad to leave Syria to lead a government in exile. And if his wife and children were indeed in Russia, his brothers-in-law would have found refuge in the United Arab Emirates. The proposal of the government in exile would represent a diplomatic attempt to push him to recognize defeat and guarantee him a way out.
The government-run media, however, deny any insinuations: Bashar al-Assad is in Damascus and is carrying out his activities as usual.
Israel Strengthens Border Defenses
Le Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have strengthened their presence on the Golan Heights, on the border with Syria, due to the advance of the jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions. The Israeli army said that the reinforcement of troops will allow it to improve defenses and prepare for various scenarios.
Iran and US call for Syria exit
The situation in Syria is deteriorating rapidly and so is thealliance between Assad, Moscow and Tehran is faltering. Despite Russian efforts to keep the regime in power, difficulties on the ground have become evident. TheIran has thus begun withdrawing high-ranking military commanders, members of the Quds Force, diplomats and civilians from Syria. The evacuations, which began on Friday, see some officials leave by plane, while others travel by land to Lebanon, Iraq and Latakia. The reason for the withdrawal, according to an Iranian analyst, is that Iran can no longer support a Syrian army that does not want to fight. Meanwhile, the Jordan urges its citizens to leave the country, while the United States They urge their compatriots to leave immediately, warning that the security situation is unstable and unpredictable.
Il Al-Qaim crossing with Syria is currently closed, accessible only to Iraqis who want to return home. But security sources in Baghdad report that about 2.000 Syrian soldiers and officers have fled through the crossing. The Iraqi authorities have allowed them to enter, providing assistance to the wounded who are being treated at the local hospital.
The UN reports a Humanitarian crisis with 400.000 displaced in one week.
Emergency meeting at Farnesina, Tajani: “Italians in Syria under control”
This morning a meeting was held emergency meeting at Farnesina, convened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, to discuss the situation in Syria. The meeting was attended by Italian ambassadors in various countries, including Damascus, Doha, Tel Aviv, Amman, Beirut, Tehran, Baghdad, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Riyadh, Ankara, Moscow and the Holy See. The main topics discussed concern political and diplomatic initiatives to stop military operations and organize the evacuation of religious and Italians present in Syria.
Tajani confirmed that the The situation of Italians in Syria is under control, with approx 300 citizens Italians in the country. Some of them managed to leave Syria, and all of them are in contact with the Italian embassy in Damascus. The minister stressed that the main concern remains the protection of civilians and minorities, warning of the possibility of a migration crisis. He also announced that progress is expected in the negotiations in Doha for a political solution to the crisis.
Peace talks in Doha
The events have started in Doha talks between Iran, Russia and Türkiye on the situation in Syria, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Russian Sergei Lavrov and Turkish Hakan Fidan meeting in the Astana format, created in 2017. Iranian Minister Araghchi expressed his full support for the Syrian government of President Bashar al Assad and accused Israel and the United States of backing the jihadist rebels who are rampaging, threatening Damascus.
