Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, facing a jihadist revolution, cannot flee the country like other dictators due to his ties to the Alawite minority sect. Assad's regime relies on Russian and Iranian support to combat rebel forces, including the Islamic State. However, recent attacks by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terror group have caught both Russia and Iran off guard. Assad's strategy has been to kill as many enemies as possible, relying on tribal allegiances and religious schisms to weaken the opposition. The situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile.