Syrian FM shares details of final hours before Assad’s fall

(MENAFN) Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani revealed Monday that opposition officials held critical meetings with Russian representatives just hours before the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last year. In a documentary by Al Jazeera, “Keys of Damascus,” Shaibani said the discussions aimed to brief Moscow on rapid developments on the battlefield and secure Syria’s transitional period.

Shaibani emphasized that communication with Russia “never stopped” and described Moscow as a “major variable” in the conflict whose position could have shifted the outcome. “The Russian actor was present with us in the operations room, and even before the operations room,” he said.

The minister explained that the urgent negotiations, which took place on Dec. 6 at the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing with Türkiye, were meant to protect Syria’s future interests and determine the shape of post-Assad partnerships. “We met with the Russians hours before the fall of Assad’s regime and briefed them on the developments in the country,” Shaibani said.

Russia had been a key ally of the ousted Assad regime and continues to maintain two major military bases in Syria.

The announcement comes as Syrians marked the first anniversary of Assad’s ouster, with mosques across the country holding “victory chants” and cities including Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, and others hosting military parades. The commemorations follow the “Deterrence of Aggression” campaign, which began Nov. 27, 2024 in Aleppo and led to the fall of Damascus 11 days later. Many Syrians view Dec. 8, 2024, as the end of a 14-year period of brutal repression under Assad.

MENAFN09122025000045017640ID1110455681