Extremism and terrorism remain key concerns in Syria - UAE official

A large crowd celebrated the fall of the Assad’s government in Istanbul on Sunday with dancing, chanting and waving flags used by Syria's opposition.

More than three million Syrians live in Turkey, with many of them saying they could never return to their towns and villages while Assad remained in power.

A similar gathering was held in Tripoli, northern Lebanon.

US President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now with Moscow strained by the war in Ukraine and economic woes while Tehran grapples with Israel's military in the region.

“Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success,” he said.

Iran's embassy was stormed by Syrian rebels following their capture of Damascus, Iran's English-language Press TV reported on Sunday.

Additionally, Iraq also evacuated its embassy in Syria and moved staff to Lebanon, the Iraqi state news agency reported on Sunday.

Syrian state institutions will be supervised by former Prime Minister Mohammed Jalali until they are handed over, rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani said on Sunday.

The move is part of efforts to secure an orderly transition after rebels declared an end to Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Signed in his real name - Ahmed al-Sharaa - Golani's statement banned military forces in Damascus from approaching public bodies and banned the firing of guns in the air.

In an interview with Al Arabiya Sunday, Jalali -- appointed prime minister by Assad in September -- said he had been in contact with Sharaa to discuss the current transitional period. He said that Syria should Syria should hold free elections.

Jalali said he remained in his home and was ready to support continuity of governance.

Syrian telecommunications minister Eyad al-Khatib told Al Arabiya that he had been contacted by a representative of Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham responsible for telecoms services. They agreed that telecoms and internet would continue to function, Khatib said.

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said he would not leave Syria and was ready to hand over power to the rebels.

"We are ready to cooperate with whoever the people choose," he said in a pre-recorded video from his home, shortly after rebels entered Damascus and announced that the capital was "now free of Assad".

The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based opposition war monitor, said early Sunday that Assad left the country for an undisclosed location.

Syria's army command told officers that Assad's rule has ended, according to Reuters.

Thousands of Syrian people congregated at a main square in Damascus in cars and on foot, waving and chanting "Freedom" from the 50-year Assad family rule.

"We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison," the rebels said.

The Syrian government had detained thousands of people in Sednaya, a large military prison on the outskirts Damascus.

"All Syrians are saying that liberating Sednaya's prison is more significant than destroying Berlin's wall. Years of fear, torture, death, and subjugation will end tonight," one user wrote on X hours before the end of Assad's rule.