Assad to flee Syria with Moscow having become convinced that he would lose against the insurgents rapidly advancing on Damascus, sources have said. Moscow offered Mr Assad a safe exit if he left the country immediately as the rebel forces led by former al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) approached,

Defence Studies Centre senior fellow Matthew Sussex says the demise of the Assad regime in Syria represents a “significant blow” to Moscow and Vladimir Putin.

The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic had not been weakened following the fall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Iranian media reported. "We have not been weakened and Iran's power has not diminished,

In a stunning turn of events, Iran has publicly criticised its long-time ally Bashar al-Assad following his dramatic ouster by rebel forces. Iranian officials are now placing the blame squarely on Assad,