Syrian Rebels Eye Next Prize With Assad Lacking Russian Help
- Opposition forces near last major city before capital Damascus
- The aid that helped Assad in the past is no longer guaranteed
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Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is desperate for Russian and Iranian help as rebel forces close in on the strategically important city of Homs, though a repeat of the 2015 rescue by his allies looks increasingly unlikely.
The military resources of both Tehran and Moscow are stretched by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. So far, Assad has Russia’s airstrikes on rebel positions and a tepid promise from Iran to consider requests for troops, yet not the emphatic backing he’s counting on to halt the onslaught.