This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The fall of Syria's bloodthirsty dictator, Bashar al-Assad, has obliterated 40 years of the Iranian regime's political, economic and military investment. The state-run newspaper Ham-Mihan described the scale of the loss in its Dec. 9, 2024 edition: "In one week, all political, economic, and military investments went up in flames."
Just hours before the fall of Damascus, the state-run outlet Khabar Online ominously warned: "Their objective is to reach Sar-e Pol-e Zahab (a border city) in western Iran. Based on our assessments, we realized their plans are far more serious than Syria and Iraq. … To prevent the war from spilling into Iran, serious and comprehensive measures at the highest levels must be taken. We are witnessing the defensive pillars of the Syrian army collapse one after the other."
The Assad regime – a 'central pillar' of Tehran's regional strategy
Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the Assad dictatorship has served as the cornerstone of the Iranian regime's regional strategy. From Ayatollah Khomeini's war with Iraq in the 1980s to the era of Qassem Soleimani's orchestrated massacres in Iraq and Lebanon, and his indiscriminate killing of tens of thousands of children and hundreds of thousands of civilians in Syria, the Assad family's 50-year rule was critical to Iran's ambitions.
The phrase "Syria is the central pillar" was famously used in 2019 by Hassan Nasrallah, the now-deceased leader of Hezbollah, quoting Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Nasrallah explained:
"If I were to summarize the importance of Syria, it would be in the words of the Supreme Leader [Khamenei]: 'Syria is the central pillar. Today, without Syria, resistance in Lebanon and Palestine would be marginalized. Syria is one of the principals, major and vital components of the body, mind, culture, thought and will of the resistance in the region.'" (Khamenei's website, October 16, 2019)
Billions wasted to keep Assad in power
To prop up Bashar al-Assad's regime, Tehran funneled at least $50 billion into Syria between 2011 and 2019, according to credible reports. These funds, allocated through Qassem Soleimani, came at the expense of the Iranian people, who faced widespread poverty and starvation. Over two-thirds of the population lived in abject poverty while the regime diverted resources to repress and massacre freedom-seekers, children, and civilians in Syria to sustain Assad's grip on power. During Iran's 2017 nationwide protests, demonstrators expressed their frustration with chants like: "Leave Syria, think about us!"
Khamenei's Justification: 'Strategic Depth'
Ali Khamenei has repeatedly described his regime's interventions in the region as essential to maintaining Iran's "strategic depth." On several occasions, he asserted that if the regime did not fight in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, it would inevitably have to confront its enemies "in the streets of Kermanshah, Hamedan, and other provinces in Iran."
In 2016, Khamenei further justified the deployment of Revolutionary Guards and Quds Force mercenaries to Syria, stating: "Those who leave here to stand against the takfiris in Iraq or Syria are, in reality, defending their own cities." (Khamenei's website, June 25, 2016)
The collapse of the 'Central Pillar' shakes Tehran
By Khamenei's own logic, the collapse of Syria – his regime's "central pillar" – and the erosion of its so-called "strategic depth" will undoubtedly have repercussions in Tehran. The fall of Assad signals a critical loss of influence, destabilizing the very foundations of the Iranian regime. If Khamenei cannot protect his key ally in Syria, his ability to maintain power in Iran will be severely weakened.
Mehdi Taeb, a senior official in the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence branch, explicitly acknowledged this reality in 2013: "If the enemy attacks us and tries to take Syria or Khuzestan (Iran's oil-rich province), our priority is to preserve Syria. Because if we hold onto Syria, we can regain Khuzestan. But if we lose Syria, we won't even be able to keep Tehran." (Asr-e Iran newspaper, Feb. 14, 2013)
Conclusion
After the decline of Hezbollah, Khamenei has now suffered another major strategic blow with the fall of Bashar al-Assad – leader of a country Khamenei once referred to as Iran's "35th province." The liberation of the Syrian people and the region from Assad's dictatorship could have been achieved nine years ago, in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254. Yet Khamenei deliberately obstructed this resolution, choosing instead to waste billions of dollars and thousands of lives to prolong Assad's rule.
Without a doubt, the fall of Assad represents a devastating defeat for Khamenei. More importantly, it is a clear indicator of the inevitable and unstoppable movement toward democratic change in Iran.
