Is there a household in Syria that the war hasn't touched?

“There is not a single household in Syria that the war has not touched.” Before armed fighters set off a stunning offensive last month, Assad’s chokehold had split Syrian territory among regime and rebel forces – some of which are backed by international powers, including the US and Turkey.

Is Syria a Shiite country?

The government is secular, but its closest ally is Iran, the most powerful Shiite country. Syria is a core part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” — a network of countries and groups (including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis) that hopes to destroy Israel and reduce American influence in the Middle East.

Could Assad be a resupply route for Hezbollah?

Israeli officials have reveled in the downfall of Assad, a staunch ally of Iran who allowed his country to be used as a resupply route for Hezbollah in Lebanon. But they also fear what could come from radical Islamists governing Syria, which borders Israel in the occupied Golan Heights.

Is Syria a stalemate?

Until recently, Bashar al-Assad — Syria’s authoritarian president, who’s responsible for much of the carnage — seemed to be in a dominant position. His forces controlled about two-thirds of the country’s territory, including all the largest cities. The war seemed to have reached a stalemate.

Does Syria have a foothold in the Middle East?

“Syria is their only real foothold in the Middle East and the Mediterranean,” said Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. The rebel victory, he said, has become “part of the price they are paying for the war in Ukraine.” What is Israel doing?

Will Biden support Syria?

Biden vowed to support Syria’s neighbors during the transition and to protect US personnel in their continued mission against ISIS. The president said he plans to speak with his counterparts in the area “in the coming days” and that US officials will deploy to the region.