Recent reports from five US officials suggest that the Biden administration is closely monitoring the rapid advancement of Syrian rebels, raising the prospect of Bashar al-Assad's regime collapsing in a matter of days. This potential scenario marks a significant shift in the dynamics of the conflict that has been ongoing since 2011.
While there is no definitive assessment on Assad's fate, officials acknowledge varying perspectives on the situation. However, there is a growing consensus among senior US officials that the fall of the Assad regime is becoming increasingly plausible.
Some officials predict that by the upcoming weekend, the Assad regime may lose its grip on power entirely, barring any unforeseen developments such as a successful coup or internal reorganization. The swift rebel advance has caught the Biden administration off guard, with regime forces crumbling and leaving Damascus vulnerable.
It is worth noting that the US has previously miscalculated the resilience of regimes, as seen in Afghanistan and Ukraine. These past misjudgments have prompted a review of how the US intelligence community assesses the determination of foreign militaries to fight.
