Despite Assad's departure, Iran sees opportunity in Syria power play
Iran's supreme leader does not appear ready to lose sight of Syria despite Assad's downfall, seeking to capitalize on the rifts within Syria's diverse political and sectarian fabric.
TEHRAN — In a televised speech this week, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the downfall of his key regional ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was an American-Israeli ploy, as Tehran had to cope with realities of an end to its yearslong presence in the war-ravaged country.
Without directly naming it, Khamenei also hit out at Turkey, accusing it of complicity in the "conspiracy" that brought the Syrian leader down.
The speech in Tehran to a crowd of loyalists was Khamenei's first public reaction to the collapse of the 50-year-long dictatorial rule by Assad and his father following a brief surprise offensive by the Sunni militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
The Assad government had for years played a central role in connecting Iran with its leading proxy group in Lebanon, Hezbollah, allowing the Islamic Republic to advance its anti-Israel agenda, which has been a defining principle of the Shiite theocracy since its inception in 1979.
