Iran throws its support behind Assad as rebels expand their shock offensive in Syria

BEIRUT — Iran has thrown its support behind Syria’s government after thousands of insurgents took control of the country’s second-largest city of Aleppo and seized nearby towns and villages in a swift and surprise offensive.

“We firmly support the Syrian army and government,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was quoted as saying by the state-run IRNA news agency, before he set off for Syria’s capital Damascus on Sunday. “The Syrian army will once again be victorious over these terrorist groups as in the past,” he added.

His comments came after the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based war monitor, reported that insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had seized control of Aleppo International Airport.

The Observatory said that fighters from the group posted pictures from the airport that would mean it’s the first international airport to be controlled by insurgents. The rebels now control “the majority of” Aleppo after forcing the governor, police and security branches to retreat from the city center, it added.

Russian and Syrian jets responded by striking the rebel-held city of Idlib on Sunday, according to the Observatory and the Syrian state-run news network Al-Ikhbariyah, in a second day of intensive bombing aimed at pushing back the insurgents.

At least 347 fatalities, including 40 civilians, have been reported during the clashes, according to the war monitoring group, which relies on a network of on-the-ground information sources. Five children and three women were among the civilians killed by bombardment and airstrikes, it added.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that the U.S. has designated HTS a “terrorist enemy, so we have concerns, obviously, about that group.” He also called for “the full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that can bring a measure of peace and stability to Syria.”

The fighting further exacerbates Syria’s humanitarian crisis, already one of the world’s worst after 13 years of civil war, which began in 2011 as a protest movement against Assad’s authoritarian rule but has since killed an estimated half-million people.

The offensive raises questions about the preparedness of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s armed forces. In his first public comments released by the state news agency Saturday evening, Assad said Syria will continue to “defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters.” Syria is able to defeat them no matter how much their attacks intensify, he added.

The Observatory reported Sunday that his forces were sending “large reinforcements and drawing a defensive line around several cities and villages” in the Hama Governorate, which sits to the south of Aleppo.

Iran’s renewed commitment to Assad underscores the geopolitical stakes in the conflict and exposes a complex web of rivalries, factions and foreign interventions that ensure Syria’s turmoil persists.

While Assad controls roughly 70% of Syrian territory, the remaining areas are held by a mix of opposition groups, Kurdish forces and countries like the U.S. and Turkey.

Tehran sees Syria as a critical part of its regional strategy, providing a land corridor to Hezbollah in Lebanon and a front against Israeli influence.

Iran’s support for Assad mirrors that of Russia, which helped to turn the tide of the war during 2016’s battle for Aleppo between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters. The victory helped Assad to secure his hold on strategic areas of Syria, with opposition factions and their foreign backers controlling areas on the periphery.

Moscow’s intervention also secured its military presence in Syria, including the naval base at Tartus, while bolstering Assad’s grip on power.

A main backer of Syrian opposition groups, Turkey said in recent weeks its diplomatic efforts had failed to stop government attacks on opposition-held areas. These were in violation of a de-escalation agreement it sponsored along with Russia and Iran.

However, its primary focus is undermining Kurdish-backed rebel groups near its borders. Ankara has said Syrian Kurdish fighters are an extension of the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey since the 1980s — a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people.

The U.S., for its part, opposes Assad, opposes Russia and opposes Iran, but has allied itself with Syrian Kurdish forces despite their fight against the United States’ NATO ally Turkey.

Sullivan said it was “no surprise” that rebels have tried to take advantage of the main players backing the Syrian government, because Iran, Russian and Hezbollah have been distracted by other conflicts.

Inside Aleppo, schools and government offices were closed Saturday as most people stayed indoors, according to Sham FM radio, a pro-government station, although bakeries were open.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday that Aleppo’s two key public hospitals were reportedly full of patients, while many private facilities were closed.

Charlene Gubash reported from Beirut and Freddie Clayton from London.