Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad suddenly disappeared from the media radar about a month ago.
According to information published by Türkiye Gazetesi, he was last seen on July 24 at a meeting with Vladimir Putin. After this, Assad stopped appearing in public, which sparked much speculation.
Media reports suggest that Assad is hiding in a mansion in St. Petersburg, fearing a possible attempt on his life by Iran. The reason for this fear may be the growing disagreements between the Syrian regime and Tehran related to restrictions on the activities of pro-Iranian groups on Syrian territory.
Recall that in late July Vladimir Putin met with Bashar al-Assad. The Kremlin published a short video of their conversation lasting less than two minutes. The main topics of the meeting included discussion of the situation in the Middle East and strengthening bilateral relations.
Putin also expressed interest in Assad’s opinion on the worsening situation in the region. Assad, in turn, stressed the importance of the 80-year-old relations between Syria and Russia, emphasizing their stability and mutual trust.
Prior to this meeting, Assad visited the Russian Federation in March 2023, where issues of countering terrorism and strengthening friendly ties between the two countries were discussed.
Earlier, Kursor reported that Assad sent a message to Khamenei in the context of the threat of war between Israel and Hezbollah. Officials in the Assad regime have reportedly told Tehran that Syria is not interested in being dragged into a regional conflict in the Middle East.
