Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept to power in Syria surprisingly quickly following a civil war of well over a decade. Was this because the previous Assad government had lost all support? Were there other reasons?


The regime’s downfall has many internal and external causes. Its most important internal causes include the deteriorating economic situation in Syria due to the long and ongoing blockade since the beginning of the crisis. This includes the US, European, Arab and international blockade, in addition to the unjust American Caesar Act against the Syrian people. 

There was also a shortage of basic and daily necessities due to the US and Turkish occupation and the seizure of essential resources such as oil, gas, wheat and cotton. This was aggravated by the deteriorating internal situation, including theft, war gangs, exploitation by warlords, bribery and other factors that led to the regime’s collapse. In addition, there were external factors, including attempts by the United States, the West and some Arab countries to overthrow the regime, the introduction of terrorists and armed groups into Syria to destabilise the security situation and create a state of fear and panic, and the shortage of aid and supplies, to the point of complete non-existence. All of these factors accelerated the fall of the regime.