Assad ignored his people, Iran government spokesperson says

On Tuesday, an Iranian MP said that the country’s forces remained in Syria until just before the Assad government neared collapse, and that it still holds full power over its enemies’ vital interests.

“The Islamic Republic’s military forces remained in Syria until the very last moment—just before the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government—and currently, there are no Iranian forces in that country,” Ahmad Naderi said following a meeting with IRGC commanders.

He also quoted the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami: “Not an iota of Iran’s power has diminished, and we maintain full dominance over all the enemy’s vital interests.”

"Clearly what we're seeing is a weakened Iran, a weakened Hezbollah and a strengthened Israel," US alternative ambassador to the UN Robert Wood told Iran International in New York when asked what the Syria developments mean for Iran.

"What happened to the Assad regime was a defeat for Iran and Russia, the major puppet master," he said. "What you're seeing now is a fact that the so-called axis of resistance has become very weak. They're not able to do the things that they were doing before."

"The end of this (Syrian) regime is a defeat for all who enabled its barbarity and its corruption, none more than Iran, Hezbollah and Russia," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at an event at the State Department on Monday.

"So, this moment presents a historic opportunity, but it also carries considerable risks," he warned. "History shows how quickly moments of promise can descend into conflict and violence. ISIS will try to use this period to re-establish its capabilities, to create safe havens. As our precision strikes over the weekend demonstrate, we are determined not to let that happen."

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday strongly condemned what he described as Israeli airstrikes on Syria’s infrastructure over the past two days, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government.

He also denounced Israel's recent land grabs in Golan Heights and sharply criticized the Jewish state's Western supporters for their "silence and inaction in the face of this blatant violation of international law."

Suspected Israeli airstrikes have in recent days targeted multiple military assets belonging to the former Syrian government and Iran-backed forces in Damascus, Latakia, Deir ez-Zor and other parts of the Arab country.

Israel's military has also seized control of a demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights "temporarily", Israel's prime minister said, adding that the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria had "collapsed" with the rebel takeover of the country.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed credit for the downfall of Israel's adversary Bashar al-Assad and said the Jewish state has overcome doubters of its war aims and dismantled a Mideast-wide axis led by Iran.

"If we were to agree to those who said time after time, we must stop the war ... we wouldn't have exposed Iran in its weakness," he told reporters in a speech on Monday.

"(We) broke apart this axis, brick by brick," Netanyahu added, referring to the so-called Axis of Resistance led by Tehran comprising Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthis, militias backing the Iraqi government and until Sunday Assad's government.