Following the Islamist rebels’ seizure of Damascus and the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, unknown gunmen attacked the Iranian embassy on Sunday. The Russian Foreign Ministry claims Assad left the country, providing instructions for a peaceful transfer of power.
Iranian state television reported on the embassy attack, stating the assailants were likely not affiliated with the group that captured the city. Most Iranian officials and their families had been evacuated on Saturday, leaving only a small diplomatic presence.
Iranian state TV reported that the embassy and nearby businesses were targeted by a group distinct from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the primary force behind the recent rebel advances.
Footage circulating on Arab and Iranian media shows individuals inside the embassy ransacking furniture, documents, and damaging windows.
Syrian television reported that Assad and his family fled Damascus over the weekend, their destination unknown.
A video message broadcast on Syrian state TV, purportedly from rebel groups, declared Assad’s ouster and the release of all prisoners.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali stated on Sunday morning that he was unaware of Assad’s location, having lost contact on Saturday night, according to Al-Arabiyya.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced via Telegram that Assad’s departure followed negotiations with rebel factions, and that he left instructions for a peaceful power transition. The ministry denied direct Kremlin involvement.
Celebratory crowds gathered in Damascus’ central squares, chanting anti-Assad slogans, honking horns, and firing celebratory gunshots.
Syria has endured a brutal 14-year civil war fueled by Islamist rebels aiming to overthrow the Assad regime. The apparent fall of Damascus marks a significant shift in Middle Eastern politics.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, subject to a $10 million U.S. bounty, is attempting to present a less radical image than in his past conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Al-Golani was previously detained by the U.S. military.
Syrian experts, including Phillip Smyth of the Atlantic Council, have informed Digital that HTS aims to establish a totalitarian Islamist regime, albeit with some modifications.
Al-Golani issued a directive prohibiting his fighters from celebratory gunfire in Damascus.
“Public institutions will remain under the prime minister’s supervision until their official handover,” he declared on his group’s social media platforms.
‘ Benjamin Weinthal, Bradford Betz, the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report