‘Unjust and tyrannical rule’: How world reacted to Assad’s ouster from Syria

With many Syrians abroad and in the Middle East celebrating the fall of Syria’s authoritarian government to jihadi militants, the event triggered mixed reactions across the region and beyond, ranging from jubilation to concern over an uncertain future.

Governments, both allies and opponents of Assad, rushed to grasp the shocking turn of events and evaluate its impact on the Middle East and

In Lebanon, thousands of Syrians made their way to the Masnaa border crossing to return to their homeland, despite the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

“Anything is better than Bashar,” said Sami Abdel-Latif, a refugee from Hama who was heading back to join his wife and four children.

“This is a feeling we’ve been waiting 14 years for,” said Malak Matar, who was preparing to return to the capital Damascus. Now, he said, “Syrians have to create a state that is well organised and take care of their country.”

Many citizens in Syria’s neighbouring countries reacted with joy to news Assad was gone. In Jordan’s capital, Amman, resident Muhab al-Majali said his fall marked the end of “unjust and tyrannical rule”.

Saeed Sawy, an engineer in Cairo, predicted that Syria’s rebel factions would turn on each other in a struggle for control of the country’s future.

“We saw this happen before,” he said. “We saw this in Libya, in Tunisia, in Yemen and Sudan. People rejoice over the fall of tyrants, then they disagree and fight, and a civil war starts.”

Syria’s neighbours increased security along their borders, with Lebanon closing all but one land crossing with Syria and Jordan shutting a border post.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces had temporarily taken control of a buffer zone in the Golan Heights, established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement, after Syrian troops abandoned their positions.

Airstrikes were reported on a military airport near Damascus, previously targeted by Israel, as well as other Syrian military sites.

Iran, a staunch ally of Assad, called for the Syrian people to determine their country’s future “without harmful foreign interference.”

The foreign ministry in Tehran said that Iran supports Syria’s unity and national sovereignty, expressing hopes for “the end of military conflicts, the prevention of terrorist activities, and the beginning of a national dialogue” involving all groups.

The Iraqi government, which is close to Iran, said it “supports all international and regional efforts seeking to open a dialogue” for Syria. Egypt’s foreign ministry urged a “comprehensive political process” to establish a new era of peace in the war-torn county.

The head of Yemen’s internationally recognised government welcomed the fall of Assad as “a historic moment”. Yemen’s government is at war with the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran.