Iran’s Khamenei Predicts Syrian Youth Will Resist New Government

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has expressed confidence that young Syrians will resist the new government following the fall of Bashar al-Assad. He pointed out that these young individuals, who now face instability after Assad’s ousting, have “nothing to lose” and are likely to resist the new order. Khamenei emphasized that these Syrians should stand firm against those he believes are responsible for the insecurity in the country. He reiterated accusations that the U.S. and Israel were behind the instability in Syria, claiming they aimed to exploit the country’s resources.

Iran has been a key supporter of Assad’s regime during Syria’s civil war, which began after Assad’s violent crackdown on protests. Syria has also served as a critical route for Iranian support to Hezbollah. Khamenei’s remarks came after a year of significant losses for Iran’s regional allies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which was forced to agree to a ceasefire after heavy Israeli strikes.

Despite the setbacks, Khamenei denied that groups like Hezbollah and Hamas act as Iranian proxies, asserting that these groups fight due to their own convictions. He further stated that if Iran ever needed to take action, it would not rely on proxy forces.