The end of the Assad regime was somewhat unexpected in some ways, and totally expected in many ways. What we witnessed was the rapid disintegration of the Assad regime in a timeframe that few expected. With a Russian military bogged down and distracted in Ukraine and an Iranian leadership under bombardment by Israel, two of Assad’s key supporters abandoned support based on their own internal issues.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been a spectacular failure, the 2022 ten-day special military operation will now spill over into 2025. The Ukrainian resistance has been fierce, despite being outnumbered and outgunned, the Ukrainian military has put up a remarkable defense. The ## Ukrainian fighting men and women are not being rotated out of combat, they have held lines and resisted the Russian onslaught.

Iran as the middle eastern regime proxy supporter is being hammered by the annihilation of Hamas forces in Gaza, this could be considered an internal Israeli conflict. The absolute destruction of the Iranian funded Hamas militia is close, all they have done is ensured the destruction of Gaza. Instead of funding hospitals, medical facilities, schools and educational facilities, Hamas constructed tunnels, fortified residential areas and ran military operations through hospitals.

The Iranian terrorist funding was used to train fighters to kidnap Israeli hostages, purchase weapons including rifles and rockets and fund the lavish lifestyles of the top Hamas leaders. All the while, the Palistinians who elected Hamas lived in abject poverty. Their cheering on the streets of Gaza was a little premature and very short-lived after October 7 as the hostages were paraded, making them look like a bunch of morons, what did they think was going to happen? Israel would just roll over and give up? Everyone with half an idea knew the Israeli response would be proportionate to the threat, despite the anti-Semitism and largely successful propaganda battle, Israel would prevail.

The fierce response by Israel against Iranian proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and against Iran directly diverted support from Syria coupled with a declining Russian influence has begun to reshape the middle east. Hezbollah in the southern regions of Lebanon were quickly defeated, the pager operation to destroy the leadership left the terrorist movement in disarray, this was like a plot line from a spy novel. Whilst Bashir Assad has absconded from Syria and applied for asylum in Russia, dictators around the world propped up fascists regimes will be nervous.