Geopolitical consequences of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria for the Islamic Republic of Iran

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyze the consequences of the events of December 2024, i.e. the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime by rebel forces and their seizure of power in Syria, for the security policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Syria and Iran are linked by a long-standing alliance based on coun-tering the geographic influence of the United States and its aggressive policy towards Israel. For years, Syria has been the core of an idea known as the Axis of Resistance, which, in addition to Syria and Iran, also includes Lebanon's Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militias and Yemen's Houthi rebels. The fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024 shook the Middle Eastern security system, including contributing to the decline of Iran's position in the region, and thus forcing Tehran to seek new solutions and regulate relations with the new Syrian government. The article presents a description of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Syrian civil war, as well as the position of the Iranian authorities towards the events of December 2024 and the presentation of a new order in Damascus towards the threat of cooperation in Iran.