Syria has plunged into war. Who is Bashar al-Assad, and why is his regime in jeopardy?

Bashar al-Assad has been leading Syria for the past 24 years, and for half of that time, the country has been in a state of civil war. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of citizens and has turned millions into refugees. Recently, the situation has escalated, with rebels taking control of several strategic cities in their quest to overthrow the ruling regime.

RBK-Ukraine provides insights on Bashar al-Assad and his regime in Syria in the article below.

Presidency by Inheritance

Bashar al-Assad was born on September 11, 1965, in the Syrian capital, Damascus. He was the second son of military and political figure Hafez al-Assad.

When Bashar was five years old, his father orchestrated a coup d'état and became the president of Syria. Hafez al-Assad implemented a brutal policy towards the opposition and established a cult of personality. His nearly 30-year rule was marked by repression and human rights violations.

Bashar al-Assad's childhood was spent in Damascus. He attended a prestigious Arab-French lycée and later obtained a medical degree from Damascus University. In 1988, he graduated as an ophthalmologist and worked for a time in a military hospital on the outskirts of the capital.

Four years later, Bashar al-Assad went to the United Kingdom for an internship, working at the Western Eye Hospital in London.

In 1995, Bashar's older brother Bassel, who was being groomed by their father to be his successor, died in a car accident.

1Photo: Assad succeeded his father as president of Syria (GettyImages)

Thus, Bashar al-Assad unexpectedly became the first in line for the presidency and had to return to Syria.

Lacking relevant experience, he enrolled in a military academy and attained the rank of colonel in the Republican Guard. He also engaged in public activities, leading a largely symbolic anti-corruption campaign. His work with the Syrian Computer Society, which introduced the Internet to Syria, helped him gain a reputation as a modernizer.

In June 2000, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad died of a heart attack, and just a month later, his son Bashar al-Assad became the next leader of the country, receiving over 97% of public support.

However, for his election, the parliament had to amend the constitution, lowering the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 34 (which was Bashar's age at the time).

Assad's Regime: From Hope for Change to Bloody War

Since July 10, 2000, Bashar al-Assad has held the position of the 19th president of Syria (having been re-elected three times), and he is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the general secretary of the ruling Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party.

The transfer of power from father to son was met with skepticism both in Syria and abroad. However, many initially hoped that the young leader, who had studied and lived in the West, would begin to transform the country.

In the early years of his presidency, some governmental restrictions on freedom of speech and the press were indeed relaxed, and several hundred political prisoners were released. Bashar al-Assad promised to combat corruption, modernize the economy, and implement democratization, but not according to Western standards, rather through a "homegrown model."

During this period, the so-called "Damascus Spring" emerged, with public political discussion forums appearing and independent newspapers being published, increasingly calling for political reforms.

Amid the spread of democratic sentiments, Bashar al-Assad's regime shifted course and reverted to authoritarian methods. To suppress reformist activity, Syrian authorities once again resorted to threats and arrests.

Moreover, Assad's economic reforms exacerbated inequality and centralized power among the loyal Damascus elite, alienating rural populations, workers, businessmen, and industrialists who had previously formed the core of support for the ruling Ba'ath Party.

2Photo: Bashar al-Assad faced protests that escalated into war (GettyImages)

The greatest challenge to Assad's regime came from anti-government protests in 2011, inspired by a wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Middle East ("Arab Spring").

Syrians demanded political reforms, the restoration of civil rights, and the lifting of the state of emergency that had been in place since 1963, which restricted freedom of speech and granted the government broad powers to detain individuals for perceived threats to national security.

Initially, Bashar al-Assad spoke of a willingness to make concessions. At the same time, pro-government forces harshly suppressed protests. Unrest spread to more cities, prompting the government to deploy troops and tanks in response.

By the fall of 2011, opposition groups had armed themselves, and the conflict in Syria escalated into a full-scale civil war.

Over time, the rebels managed to gain control over large parts of northern and eastern Syria, receiving support from foreign states, including neighboring Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the USA.

Conversely, the Syrian government found allies in Iran, Russia, and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

The more than 10 years of war in Syria have resulted in widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis. Assad's government has been accused of gross human rights violations, including the repeated use of chemical weapons against civilians.

3Photo: Destruction in Aleppo, Syria (GettyImages)

Estimates suggest that during the conflict, up to 500,000 people lost their lives, nearly 7 million citizens have been displaced within the country, and around 6 million refugees from Syria are residing in neighboring Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Putin as an Ally

In 2015, as the rebels controlled significant territories in Syria and Assad's regime was in a precarious position, Russia intervened in the conflict. The Russian Air Force began bombing Aleppo and other cities, and ground troops were also deployed.

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin explained that the operation in Syria was purportedly aimed at "stabilizing legitimate authorities and creating conditions for a political compromise."

Russia's military intervention strengthened Assad's position. By 2017, the government had regained control over most major cities, while the remaining rebels were limited to isolated territories.

In 2020, Russia and Turkey agreed to a ceasefire in the last opposition-held Syrian province of Idlib, agreeing to create a security corridor with joint patrols.

4Photo: Russian leader Putin supports Assad's regime (GettyImages)

In turn, Bashar al-Assad has consistently supported Russia's aggression in Ukraine. During the annexation of Crimea by Russian occupiers, Syria voted in the UN General Assembly to recognize the so-called "Crimean referendum."

A day after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Bashar al-Assad, in a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin, referred to the invasion as "a correction of history and a restoration of balance in the global order after the fall of the Soviet Union."

Syria also became the first country after Russia to officially recognize the "independence and sovereignty" of the so-called LPR and DPR in June 2022.

In 2023, Assad stated that Russia's "special military operation" was aimed against "neo-Nazis" in Ukraine, labeling the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions as "historically Russian."

Why Assad Might Lose Control Over Syria

At the end of November 2024, the conflict in Syria flared up anew. Large-scale clashes began between the Islamist rebels of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian National Army, and Bashar al-Assad's army.

Within a week, the rebels managed to gain control over Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, and approached the major city of Homs in central Syria, which opens the way to the capital, Damascus.

The capture of Homs would also sever Damascus from the coast, where Assad's Russian allies have a naval and air base.

The leader of the HTS group, Abu Muhammad al-Julani, stated that the primary goal of the rebels is to overthrow Assad's regime and "build a new Syria."

5Photo: Islamist offensive in Syria (GettyImages)

As CNN reports, the rebels are likely seeking to capitalize on the weakened Syrian government, whose key partners are preoccupied with other conflicts.

As Russia, the main ally of Assad's regime in the skies, has committed significant resources to the war in Ukraine, and Iran has faced a series of attacks from Israel.

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