**Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed on Wednesday that the effort to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was orchestrated by the United States and Israel.**
In his remarks, Khamenei also said that one of Syria’s neighbors played a role in the plot, without naming the country explicitly, but appeared to be referring to Turkey, which has supported anti-Assad opposition forces.
Khamenei described Assad’s potential removal as a significant setback for the “Axis of Resistance,” the Iran-led coalition opposing U.S. and Israeli influence in the region.
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He stated that the plan to topple Assad was primarily devised by the U.S. and Israel, with evidence to back up this claim. He also emphasized that a neighboring government had been involved and continues to play a part in the ongoing situation.
Turkey, a NATO member, has been a key supporter of opposition groups fighting Assad’s regime since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011. Turkey also controls several areas in northern Syria after launching multiple incursions against Syrian Kurdish forces, which it views as terrorist organizations.
In contrast, Iran invested billions of dollars and deployed its Revolutionary Guards to help Assad retain power during the conflict. Despite the challenges, Iran indicated its commitment to maintaining strong ties with Syria, emphasizing that the two countries’ strategic relationship would continue based on mutual interests.
Khamenei also asserted that the pressure from external forces would only strengthen the resistance movement across the region. “The more you exert pressure, the stronger the resistance becomes. The more crimes you commit, the more determined it becomes. The more you fight against it, the more it grows,” Khamenei said, further affirming Iran’s resilience. “Iran is powerful, and it will become even stronger,” he concluded.