From: The Times of Israel December 2, 2024
Rebels in Syria take advantage of Israel’s successes against a weakened Iran axis

Lightning advance on Aleppo by anti-Assad jihadist force could be start of wider uprising against Tehran and its proxies

the primary reason for the success of the rebel offensive and the collapse of the regime forces is the effectiveness of Israel’s military operations against Hezbollah and Iran since October 8, 2023

“The timing is not coincidental,” Carmit Valensi, head of the Northern Arena Program at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, told The Times of Israel.

“They identify well the critical, even historical, weakness that the ‘Resistance Axis,’ primarily Hezbollah and Iran, find themselves in,”

To make matters worse for Assad’s government,
1. while Hezbollah is diminished, so is Russia
2. Its focus has been on the long Ukraine fight for almost 3 years
3. Russia has fewer troops and assets in Syria.
Maybe so -- but Russian jets been striking Syria after rebels seize Aleppo in shock offensive

What’s more, with the Donald Trump administration set to take office in a matter of weeks, Iran will likely face increased sanctions and stepped-up pressure on its battered economy.