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Source: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/syria-iran-assad-axis-of-resistance-6289667a?mod=mhp
The Loss of Syria: Ramifications for Iran and Hizbullah
(Wall Street Journal) Sune Engel Rasmussen - Iran spent decades and billions of dollars building a network of militias and governments that allowed it to exercise political and military influence across the Middle East, and deter foreign attacks on its soil. In a matter of weeks, the pillars of that alliance came crashing down. After Israel devastated Hamas, Iran's main Palestinian ally, and killed most of the leadership of Hizbullah, Iran's most powerful ally, Assad's toppling destroys the remaining front line of Iran's "forward defense," said Ali Vaez, director of the International Crisis Group's Iran Project. "The Islamic Republic thought that Hamas's 7 Oct. attack was a turning point in history. That's true, but in the entirely opposite direction to what it hoped for," he said. Many Syrians hold Tehran responsible, alongside Hizbullah, for aiding Assad's oppression. After entering Damascus, the rebels ransacked the Iranian mission. The loss of Syria will have economic ramifications for Iran. In 2023, Syria imported 40 million barrels of oil from Iran. Syria paid for the oil on credit lines, and its total debt to Iran is estimated at tens of billions of dollars. Syria had also been the source for amphetamine-like captagon, which Hizbullah smuggled in annual trade estimated at $6 billion.