TARTUS, Syria — Fear has started to spread among the Syrian government’s supporters following the Islamic State’s (IS) victories over regime forces in the northeast of the country, while violent battles against the armed opposition have intensified in the countryside of Hama and Quneitra. Priorities are changing with every turn of the Syrian war. Today, the air raids by the US-led coalition on IS positions in Syria have become a major topic of conversation among regime supporters, as many watch with caution and concern the developments in the ties between the Syrian regime and the Western coalition.

US President Barack Obama and other officials from the member countries of the coalition continue to deny any coordination with the Syrian regime, while stressing that the latter is excluded from any future plans to share influence and interests in the Middle East. At the same time, the Syrian regime’s media outlets state that the regime is a partner in the coalition and is coordinating with the United States, arguing that the international intervention is to its advantage.

The coastal city of Tartus is currently witnessing a lot of activity as locals prepare for Eid al-Adha — the small market there is filled with residents and displaced from various Syrian regions. Everything appears normal, except for the pictures of President Bashar al-Assad with slogans calling for the struggle against the Western conspiracy, and photos of hundreds of victims from the city, which remains one of the most stable and supportive of the regime.

A government employee from Tartus told Al-Monitor, “The US wouldn’t have dared to bombard [positions] inside Syria if it was not coordinating with the regime. Yet, it does not want to announce it to avoid embarrassment, as it has been demanding Assad to step down for three years now, while supporting the armed terrorist groups.”