Reports from credible international news agencies or official Iranian government announcements

Khamenei Warns of Neglected Threats in Syria After Assad's Flight

Dec 11, 2024, 09:51 AM

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has publicly addressed the recent developments in Syria for the first time since President Bashar Al-Assad fled the country. Speaking in Tehran, Khamenei revealed that Iran's intelligence services had warned Syrian officials about potential threats, specifically an offensive by HTS and SNA, as early as September. Despite these warnings, Khamenei noted that the Assad government had neglected the intelligence, leading to the current situation. He emphasized the lesson from the Syrian incident is to remain vigilant against enemies. Iran's security agencies had provided assistance to Syria, but it remains unclear whether these reports reached the highest levels of Syrian leadership.