The radical shift in US policy that shut Ukraine out amid talks to end war
Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his leadership team spent much of 2024 cautiously courting both sides of America’s widening political divide — well aware that repelling Russia’s ongoing invasion relied, in large part, on U.S. largesse.
Kyiv appeared hopeful it could weather President Donald Trump’s dramatic return to the White House, assuring itself and the world that his campaign trail alignment with Russia’s narrative would be tempered by the geopolitical realities of the world’s most powerful office.
But the first month of Trump’s second term has already delivered a radical American pivot. The opening of U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia — intended to secure peace in Ukraine, but conducted without Kyiv’s involvement — and subsequent fraying of U.S.-Ukrainian ties, poses a new crisis for a nation that has grown used to living with existential peril.
Volodymyr Fesenko, a political scientist and the СEO of the Center for Political Studies “Penta” in Kyiv, told ABC News that recent developments represent “the most acute crisis in relations between the U.S. and Ukraine in their entire history.”
“In the worst case, this is a strategic turn of the U.S. towards Russia, rapprochement with Putin and weakening — or even the destruction — of previous partnership relations with Europe and Ukraine,” Fesenko said. “I am afraid that this is the scenario that will gradually be realized.”
“With Trump’s businesslike approach to bilateral relations, and with his interest in restoring relations with Russia, the previous special partnership relations between the U.S. and Ukraine will no longer exist,” Fesenko said.
Former President Joe Biden’s commitment to involving Kyiv in any talks to end the war was embodied by the “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” motto. That approach appears to have been replaced with Trumpian transactionalism.
The White House now appears to be strongarming Kyiv into economic, territorial and political concessions, with Trump himself berating Zelenskyy — celebrated by many Americans for his stoic wartime stewardship — as a “dictator without elections” who “better move fast or he is not going to have a country left.”
Zelenskyy and his top officials have pushed back, noting that Ukraine is unable to hold new elections while under martial law. Kyiv has said it is happy to work with the new administration on mutually beneficial economic and security deals, while urging American partners to treat Moscow’s narrative with skepticism. Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday voted to affirm Zelenskyy’s legitimacy and agree that no elections can be held while the war continues.
The situation is “beyond disturbing” for Kyiv, a source close to the Ukrainian government told ABC News. “It’s hard to imagine that it can be pulled back.”
Ukraine’s leadership is trying to chart a course through the minefield of Trump’s second term, the source added. “They feel that they’re striking this balance of not being impolite or disrespectful when it comes to countering some of the things that, again, at the end of the day, no Ukrainian leader can accept,” the source said.
“They feel that they’re managing it well, which doesn’t mean that they don’t have anxiety,” they added. “They do, because it is a fact that they rely on U.S. support, it is a fact that Europe cannot totally compensate for that support.”
“They’re striking this balance of pushing back, but not in a way where they’re coming off as totally obstructionist and obstinate,” the source continued.
This month’s historic U.S.-Russia meeting in Riyadh laid bare the new administration’s approach to Moscow. The two sides agreed to normalize diplomatic relations and continue talks aimed at ending Russia’s war, all without Ukraine’s involvement.
Meanwhile, Trump’s bid to win access to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Ukrainian mineral resources further unsettled Kyiv. “We’re going to get our money back,” the president said of the would-be deal, the first draft of which Zelenskyy rejected, declaring, “I can’t sell our state.”
But after a week of intense negotiations, both sides now suggest they have all but reached a deal, with Trump saying Monday he expects to see Zelenskyy in Washington next week.
The reversal of the U.S. approach is striking. Where once Biden and his team refused to engage with Moscow outside of an unprecedented sanctions campaign, Trump and his top officials are now lauding a revival in bilateral ties.
Where Biden once led the “ironclad” commitment to defending Ukraine against Kremlin aggression “for as long as it takes,” Trump falsely suggested Ukraine “should have never started” the war.
The Biden administration’s steady flow of vital military and economic aid, meanwhile, has been replaced with Trump’s push to recoup what he sees as poorly invested American money. “I want them to give us something for all of the money that we put up,” Trump told CPAC on Saturday. The president has focused in on the value of American aid to Kyiv, which he claims is as high as $500 billion. Zelenskyy disputed the figure and said American aid was given as grants, not loans. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy — a research institute in Germany that tracks foreign aid to Ukraine — said the U.S. has contributed around $119 billion to Ukraine over three years of war. The majority — $67 billion — was in the form of military equipment.
America’s rising Ukraine-skepticism is being expressed on all fronts. In an extraordinary illustration of the re-alignment on Ukraine, the U.S. sided with Russia in a vote against a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia, which passed on Monday with the support of the U.S.’ traditional Western allies. The UN Security Council passed a U.S.-drafted resolution which called for an end to the conflict without criticizing Russia. France and the U.K. abstained on the UNSC vote.
Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will not agree to any peace deal that does not protect it against renewed Russian aggression. The Trump administration’s rapid policy shift has pushed European allies to mobilize to provide their own long-term support — and protection — of Ukraine. Britain, France and others are discussing deploying European troops to Ukraine to guard any peace deal.
Though financially and logistically dependent on foreign partners, Ukraine’s armed forces are among the world’s most potent and experienced. Zelenskyy said in January that 980,000 Ukrainians are now under arms, dwarfing any other European military.
Despite Trump’s unproven claims to the contrary, well-respected polling organizations in Ukraine have found that Zelenskyy retains the trust of the majority of Ukrainians. His compatriots want the war to end on what they consider fair terms, but a December survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll indicates that 57% are prepared to carry the conflict’s burden for as long as necessary, despite heavy casualties, ongoing attacks on infrastructure and severe economic strain.
There are more testing days to come. Moscow has said that the U.S. and Russian negotiating teams will meet for a second round of talks within the next two weeks.
“It should not look like Americans and Russians are trying to reach a deal about Ukraine’s fate behind our backs,” Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament representing Zelenskyy’s party, told ABC News.
“But what is really important for us is that such communication between Americans and Russians should not lead to the decisions concerning Ukraine,” said Merezhko, who is also the chair of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
“I hope that it might be a part of a political game on the part of Trump, who is trying to lure Putin into negotiations to demonstrate to his voters that he is at least trying to deliver on his promise,” Merezhko added.
“That’s why we need constant communication with Trump and his team — if there is a vacuum, it can be filled by pro-Russian narratives.”
Yuriy Boyechko, the founder and CEO of the Hope for Ukraine charity, told ABC News he believes Trump “is taking a side of the aggressor.”
“Ukrainians won’t sign a surrender,” he added. “We will keep on fighting to preserve a free and democratic Ukraine even if our top ally — the U.S. — walks away. We have no other choice.”
ABC News’ Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Scientists and global leaders revealed on Tuesday that the “Doomsday Clock” has been reset to the closest humanity has ever come to self-annihilation.
For the first time in three years, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the metaphorical clock up one second to 89 seconds before midnight, the theoretical doomsday mark.
“It is the determination of the science and security board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists that the world has not made sufficient progress on existential risks threatening all of humanity. We thus move the clock forward,” Daniel Holz, chair of the organization’s science and security board, said during a livestreamed unveiling of the clock’s ominous new time.
“In setting the clock closer to midnight, we send a stark signal,” Holz said. “Because the world is already perilously closer to the precipice, any move towards midnight should be taken as an indication of extreme danger and an unmistakable warning. Every second of delay in reversing course increases the probability of global disaster.”
For the last two years, the clock has stayed at 90 seconds to midnight, with scientists citing the ongoing war in Ukraine and an increase in the risk of nuclear escalation as the reason.
Among the reasons for moving the clock one second closer to midnight, Holz said, were the further increase in nuclear risk, climate change, biological threats, and advances in disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence.
“Meanwhile, arms control treaties are in tatters and there are active conflicts involving nuclear powers. The world’s attempt to deal with climate change remain inadequate as most governments fail to enact financing and policy initiatives necessary to halt global warming,” Holz said, noting that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded on the planet.
“Advances in an array of disruptive technology, including biotechnology, artificial intelligence and in space have far outpaced policy, regulation and a thorough understanding of their consequences,” Holz said.
Holtz said all of the dangers that went into the organization’s decision to recalibrate the clock were exacerbated by what he described as a “potent threat multiplier”: The spread of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories “that degrade the communication ecosystem and increasingly blur the line between truth and falsehood.”
What is the Doomsday Clock?
The Doomsday Clock was designed to be a graphic warning to the public about how close humanity has come to destroying the world with potentially dangerous technologies.
The clock was established in 1947 by Albert Einstein, Manhattan Project director J. Robert Oppenheimer, and University of Chicago scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. Created less than two years after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, during World War II, the clock was initially set at seven minutes before midnight.
Over the past seven decades, the clock has been adjusted forward and backward multiple times. The farthest the minute hand has been pushed back from the cataclysmic midnight hour was 17 minutes in 1991, after the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty was revived and then-President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev announced reductions in the nuclear arsenals of their respective countries.
For the past 77 years, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a nonprofit media organization comprised of world leaders and Nobel laureates, has announced how close it believes the world is to collapse due to nuclear war, climate change and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.
(NEW YORK) — The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it’s happening right now and affecting what matters most to us. Hurricanes intensified by a warming planet and drought-fueled wildfires are destroying our communities. Rising seas and flooding are swallowing our homes. And record-breaking heat waves are reshaping our way of life.
The good news is we know how to turn the tide and avoid the worst possible outcomes. However, understanding what needs to be done can be confusing due to a constant stream of climate updates, scientific findings, and critical decisions that are shaping our future.
That’s why the ABC News Climate and Weather Unit is cutting through the noise by curating what you need to know to keep the people and places you care about safe. We are dedicated to providing clarity amid the chaos, giving you the facts and insights necessary to navigate the climate realities of today — and tomorrow.
The US just experienced its warmest autumn on record
Another season, another climate milestone. According to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), persistent above-average to record-warm conditions across much of the United States made meteorological autumn, which lasts from September to November, the warmest ever recorded.
The record-warm fall season makes it more likely that 2024 will end up as one of the nation’s warmest, if not the warmest, years on record. As of November 2024, the contiguous U.S. year-to-date temperature was 3.3 degrees Fahrenheit above average.
Despite December’s chilly start for much of the country, with widespread below-average temperatures in many regions, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says that the cold will ease during the second half of the month with above-average temperatures favored from the West to the Northeast.
The stretch of abnormally warm temperatures was accompanied by extremely dry weather across much of the country, fueling dangerous wildfire conditions in regions like the Northeast. A very dry start to the season brought drought conditions to more than half of the lower 48 states by late October.
Fortunately, several significant rainfall events in November brought notable drought relief to large swaths of the country, reducing overall drought coverage by nearly 10.5% and suppressing the wildfire danger.
-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck
Nearly one-third of the planet’s species risk extinction because of climate change
Nearly one-third of the world’s species could be at risk for extinction because of climate change if the world does nothing to reduce global warming, according to a new analysis from Science.
University of Connecticut researcher and biologist Mark Urban found that while some species are adapting to climate change, 160,000 species are already at risk. Many are now facing declining populations because of changes in our climate.
According to the study, with current global temperatures at 1.3 degrees Celsius above industrial levels, 1.6% of species are projected to become extinct. As the temperatures warm even more, Urban found the extinction rate would also increase, with the most severe scenario included (5.4 degrees Celsius of warming) putting the extinction risk at 29.7%.
“The increased certainty of predicted climate change extinctions compels action,” Urban wrote. “Extinction represents just the final endpoint of a species’ existence; even when extinction is avoided, declining abundances and shrinking ranges can strongly affect many other species, including humans.”
Urban defines the risk of extinction as the probability that any one species will go extinct without mitigation efforts. Urban found that extinction rates could increase dramatically if global temperatures rise over 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to industrial levels.
1.5 degrees Celsius is the warming limit set by the world’s nations under the Paris Agreement after the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that crossing that benchmark would lead to more severe climate change impacts.
Risks varied across geographic areas in the study, with Australia/New Zealand and South America facing the highest risks (15.7% and 12.8%, respectively) and Asia facing lower risks (5.5%).
-ABC News Climate Unit’s Kelly Livingston
Antarctic sea ice hits new low during Earth’s 2nd warmest November on record
Imagine you have a swimming pool with ice cubes filling it. Now, measure the total area of the pool that has ice on the surface, even if the ice cubes don’t cover it completely. Because ice often spreads out unevenly, leaving water between the chunks, scientists count areas where at least 15% of the surface is covered. So, because your pool is loaded with ice cubes, it would be considered ice covered. In the real world, scientists call it sea ice extent.
While you can add ice to your pool, you can’t to the ocean. And according to a new report by Copernicus, the European Union’s Climate Change Service, the sea ice extent in the Antarctic has dipped to its lowest value on record for the month of November. It is 10% below average. This occurred during a stretch of near-record global land and sea surface temperatures.
Last month ranked as the second warmest November on record globally, with an average temperature of 14.10 degrees Celsius, or 57.38 degrees Fahrenheit.
Copernicus noted the new data not only makes it virtually certain that 2024 will surpass 2023 as Earth’s warmest year on record, but it will likely be the first year to be 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) than the pre-industrial average of 1850-1900.
The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to prevent the worst outcomes of climate change.
As of November 2024, the average global year-to-date temperature was 0.14 degrees Celsius (or 0.25 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than it was in 2023, which is the warmest year ever recorded.
(DAMASCUS, SYRIA) — Rebel forces in Syria captured the capital Damascus and toppled the regime of President Bashar Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza.
Tensions also remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides.
Mossad chief travels to Qatar for ceasefire negotiations
Israel’s Mossad chief David Barnea traveled to Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday to advance a ceasefire and hostage release deal, a senior official told ABC News.
Israeli troops to stay in Syria beyond buffer zone, Netanyahu says
Israeli troops will remain in Syria slightly beyond a buffer zone — created by the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement — for “strategic reasons,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Thursday.
“The collapse of the Syrian regime created a vacuum on Israel’s border and in the buffer zone established by the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement. Israel will not permit jihadi groups to fill that vacuum and threaten Israeli communities on the Golan Heights with October 7th style attacks,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“That is why Israeli forces entered the buffer zone and took control of strategic sites near Israel’s border. This deployment is temporary until a force that is committed to the 1974 agreement can be established and security on our border can be guaranteed,” the statement said.
Missing American may have been found in Syria, US officials say
The U.S. believes an individual seen in a video circulating online could be Travis Pete Timmerman, an American who went missing from Hungary earlier in the year, two officials familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Officials said they were seeking to provide support to the person, who was featured in a video published to social media on Thursday. The man does not speak in the short video and is seen lying on a mattress on the floor.
Timmerman, 29, has been missing since June 2, 2024, the date of his last contact, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol.
It wasn’t immediately clear when and where the circulating video was taken, but the person speaking in Arabic to the camera identifies the man as an American, according to a translation. The speaker was identified as a Syrian local.
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston
Syrian transition authorities thank nations for re-opening Damascus missions
The Political Affairs Department in Liberated Areas — which is part of the rebel-run transitional authorities — posted a statement on X on Thursday thanking nations for re-opening diplomatic missions in Damascus.
The statement expressed “thanks and gratitude” to Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman and Italy for re-opening their missions in the Syrian capital.
Turkey and Qatar, the department said, had given assurances that their missions will also re-open in the near future.
“The Syrian people will not forget” the steps taken, the department said. “We are hopeful of building good relations with all countries that respect the will of the people, the sovereignty of the Syrian state and the unity of its territories.”
UN ‘engaging all key actors in Syria,’ secretary-general says
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a Wednesday post to X that the body supports “a smooth transition of power in Syria, with an inclusive political process in which the rights of all minorities will be fully respected.”
Ongoing talks should pave “the way towards a united country with its territorial integrity fully reestablished,” Guterres added.
“I fully trust the Syrian people to be able to choose their own destiny,” he added, noting that special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen “is engaging all key actors to contribute to these objectives.”
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
UN General Assembly demands immediate Gaza ceasefire
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Unlike U.N. Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they do reflect world opinion.
The 193-nation body voted 158-9, with 13 abstentions to demand an immediate ceasefire.
A second vote broke 159-9 with 11 abstentions in support of the agency known as UNRWA — officially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East — which Israel has banned from operating on its territory and sought to undermine elsewhere.
The language of the ceasefire resolution adopted by the assembly on a ceasefire mirrors the text of a security council resolution vetoed by the U.S. on Nov. 20, which also demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The U.S. objected to the resolution because it was not tied to an immediate release of hostages taken by Hamas militants during their Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel.
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian
Israel to build fence around Jordan border ‘quickly’ to prevent weapon smugglers
Israel will expedite the construction of a fence along the Jordan-Israel border, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in comments Wednesday.
“We have destroyed and severely damaged Khamenei’s octopus arms in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria – I came here to make sure that Iran will not succeed in establishing an Iranian octopus arm on Israel’s eastern front; we will quickly build the eastern fence and prevent Iranian plans to smuggle weapons into Israel through Jordan,” Katz said while visiting the Jordan-Israel border.
“We will build the fence quickly. And we will ensure protection and prevent the growth of an octopus here in this place – even before it is established and in order to strengthen security and our control over this region of the country,” he added.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
IDF in Syria, less than a mile from buffer zone
The Israel Defense Forces operated in Kwdana, Syria, Wednesday slightly beyond the buffer zone.
The IDF says they are there for “strategic reasons” but wouldn’t elaborate.
Videos posted online see IDF soldiers setting up their vehicles and buildings in the area.
-ABC News’ Karem Inal and Will Gretksy
49 people killed in Gaza
Forty-nine people were killed in Gaza Wednesday, with 34 killed in the northern Gaza, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said.
The Israel Defense Forces instructed people to evacuate several blocks in the Al-Maghazi area in central Gaza in a new leaflet distributed Wednesday.
-ABC News’ Diaa Ostaz and Sami Zyara
Aid reaches southern Gaza
A joint UN convoy consisting of 105 trucks of aid successfully crossed into Gaza and made it to southern Gaza through the Philadelphi Corridor, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the near east (UNRWA) said in a release Wednesday.
The convoy consisted of enough food for about 200,000 people, UNRWA said.
“The solidarity of the local community was crucial to the success of this mission, as community members provided a safer passage to allow assistance to reach families facing severe food shortages,” the UNRWA said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Diaa Ostaz and Sami Zyara
Israel withdraws from parts of southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces have withdrawn from parts of southern Lebanon. This is the first group of troops pulled back since the ceasefire went into effect.
There are still warnings in place for people to avoid a number of villages near the Israeli-Lebanese border.
“The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon and will operate against any threat posed to the State of Israel and its citizens,” the IDF said in a statement.
Flights to resume at Damascus airport soon
Flights will soon resume at Damascus International Airport and Syria’s air traffic will reopen in the coming days, according to Anis Fallouh, the head of the airport.
The airport will likely start with domestic flights or test flights to ensure that everything is operational before international travel can resume from the airport, according to Fallouh.
There was a lot damage in the airport’s equipment and facilities in 90% of the sections but officials are hoping to restore the airport and restart services as soon as possible, Fallouh said.
IDF lifts some Golan Heights restrictions
The Israel Defense Forces lifted some restrictions in the occupied Golan Heights on Wednesday.
This comes as its attacks on Syria slowed. Israeli airstrikes on Syria since Monday have targeted naval bases, military warehouses, ammunition depots, aircraft and military airports.
The IDF said it destroyed 80% of the former Assad regime’s military.
World Central Kitchen fires dozens of workers in Gaza to maintain its work
Aid organization World Central Kitchen has fired dozens of its workers in Gaza, saying it was necessary to maintain its operations in Gaza. The group did not comment on Israeli accusations that the workers were affiliated with terror groups.
“This should not be taken as a conclusion by WCK that the individuals are affiliated with any terror organization. Prior to receiving the results of the COGAT security check, we had no reason for concern regarding any of these individuals and, because Israel does not share intelligence with aid organizations, we do not know the basis for Israel’s decision to flag these individuals. However, we felt this step was necessary to protect our team and operations,” WCK said in a statement.
The group said its two options were to either end its work in Gaza or agree to Israel’s request to cease ties with the workers.
“This decision protects Palestinian children and families that come to eat at our sites. Balancing safety with our mission to serve is a responsibility we take very seriously. Despite these challenges, we remain focused on our mission. We praise our team in Gaza for feeding everyday, making the impossible possible,” WCK said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Israel launches 480 strikes in Syria in 48 hours
The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday evening that it conducted about 480 strikes across Syria within the previous 48 hours, hitting most of the country’s strategic weapon stockpiles.
Earlier Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the navy destroyed the Syrian fleet at anchor overnight. Dozens of sea-to-sea missiles were also destroyed in strikes on naval facilities in the Mediterranean port city of Latakia, Katz said.
Israel has also deployed ground troops both into and beyond a demilitarized buffer zone that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria for the first time in 50 years.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Syria rebels will not succeed, Khamenei says
In his first public comments since the fall of Bashar Assad’s government, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran and its regional allies will continue fighting against the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East despite setbacks for Iran in the region.
In a Wednesday morning speech in Tehran, Khamenei said the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government — of which Iran was a major patron — was the product of a “joint” American and Israeli plan. “We have evidence — this evidence leaves no room for doubt,” he added.
Without naming Turkey, Khamenei said that one “neighboring state of Syria” also played an obvious role in the developments, but “the main conspirator, the main planner and the main command room are in America and the Zionist regime.”
Iranian leaders have previously described the Syrian opposition forces that toppled Assad as “terrorists” or “rebels,” but Khamenei on Wednesday did not use such words.
“Each of these fighters has a purpose,” he said of the armed groups. “Their goals are different, some are seeking to seize territory from northern Syria or southern Syria.”
The U.S., he added, “is seeking to strengthen its foothold in the region.”
“Time will show that, God willing, none of them will achieve these goals,” the ayatollah continued. “The occupied areas of Syria will be liberated by the zealous Syrian youth; do not doubt that this will happen.”
Khamenei said that the Iranian-led “Resistance Front,” meanwhile, will grow stronger despite its recent setbacks in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
“The more pressure you put on it, the stronger it becomes,” he said of the grouping. “The more you fight them, the wider it becomes, and I tell you, with the power of god, the scope of resistance will encompass the entire region more than ever before,” he said.
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian
UN warns of skyrocketing food prices in Syria
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs published a new report Wednesday warning that food prices in some parts of Syria have increased by 900% amid the collapse of former President Bashar Assad’s regime.
“Food shortages were reported in Deir el-Zour, Damascus and Hama; bread prices Idlib and Aleppo rose by 900% from Nov. 27 to Dec. 9,” the UNOCHA wrote, referring to the period between the start of the surprise rebel offensive in the northwest and the fall of Damascus.
“Around 100,000 individuals have been displaced to northeast Syria,” the report continued. “Hospitals are overwhelmed with trauma and injury cases and there is significant psychological distress, especially among children,” it added.
The “fluid displacements” of large numbers of people are particularly concerning given the many areas of continued fighting and minefields across the country, the UNOCHA said. Those include 52 minefields identified in the past 10 days, it said.
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian
Syrian rebels claim Deir el-Zour from Kurdish forces
Syrian rebel forces said late Tuesday they had taken control of the eastern city of Deir el-Zour on the banks of the Euphrates River and close to U.S. military positions in the region.
The city was occupied by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Dec. 6 as former president Bashar Assad’s forces withdrew. The SDF subsequenty faced protests from residents and local officials.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Military Operations Department said in a post to Telegram that the city and its military airport were “completely liberated” as of the early hours of Wednesday.
Geolocated videos showed rebel fighters in the city center, joined by residents waving the Syrian revolutionary flag.
Rebel forces continued to advance into the countryside to the west and east of the city, Lt. Col. Hassan Abdul Ghani said in a statement posted to Telegram.
Deir el-Zour is the largest city in eastern Syria and the closest to U.S. troop concentrations along the Euphrates River running to the Iraqi border.
-ABC News’ Helena Skinner
Iran’s Khamenei says Syrian collapse ‘planned’ by US, Israel
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alleged on Wednesday that the U.S. and Israel orchestrated the rapid collapse of the Syrian government led by former President Bashar Assad.
Damascus’ defeat, Khamenei wrote on X, “was planned in the U.S.-Israeli control room.”
“We have evidence for this” which leaves “no room for doubt,” Khamenei said.
Iran and Russia were the key backers of Assad’s government through more than a decade of civil war.
Tehran’s support for the regime in Damascus enabled Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to establish a major presence inside Syria alongside a range of Iran-backed militias, including Lebanese Hezbollah.
Famous Syrian activist found dead in Saydnaya
After dedicating his life to fighting the Assad regime, Mazen Al-Hamada did not live to see it fall.
A symbol of resilience and courage, the famous Syrian activist was found dead in the “slaughterhouse” prison of Saydnaya in Damascus, where he had been held since he returned to Syria in February 2020.
An unverified photo circulating online shows his disfigured face and suggests he was killed just before the rebels reached the prison, according to independent observers.
Al-Hamada was first arrested in 2011, when he protested against the regime, and remained in prison for two years. He left Syria in 2013 and was granted asylum in the Netherlands a year later.
That’s when the world got to know the horrors he endured, which he bravely described as he spoke to huge crowds, policymakers and the press, voicing the struggle of thousands who like him were detained by Assad’s regime — at least 157,000 between 2011 and August 2024, according to a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights.
“I will not rest until I take them to court and get justice,” Al-Hamada said in an interview for a 2017 documentary, ‘Syria’s Disappeared,’ his sunken eyes in tears unable to hide the pain behind his words. “Justice for me and my friends who they killed. Even if it costs my life. Bring them to justice, no matter what.”
-ABC News’ Camilla Alcini
White Helmets search 2nd prison
The White Helmets said they have searched a second prison in Damascus within a training center for the Assad regime’s State Security Branch.
“Our teams conducted searches and inspections inside the prison and the basement, which contains collective and solitary confinement cells, where innocent people were detained and brutally tortured. The teams found papers with numbers of soldiers who worked in the branch. The teams contacted them and they confirmed that the cells were only within the basement and that there were no hidden detention centers in the place,” the White Helmets said in a statement.
White Helmets demand Assad hand over maps of secret prisons
After searching Monday for secret prisons and cells, the White Helmets are now demanding Bashar Assad hand over the locations of the regime’s secret prisons along with a list of detainees being held.
Many believe there are still prisons that have yet to be discovered.
“The defunct Assad regime has practiced indescribable brutality and criminality in killing, arresting, and torturing Syrians, prolonging the period of oppression and pain in the hearts of mothers. Justice for all victims and holding accountable the perpetrators of crimes against Syrians is the first step in healing wounds and supporting peace-building efforts,” the White Helmets said in a statement Tuesday.
The White Helmets said they sent a request to the United Nations through an international mediator to demand that Russia pressure Assad to release the information so the prisoners can be reached.
Israel will act ‘to ensure security,’ but won’t interfere in Syria, Netanyahu says
Israel will act decisively against positions in Syria if Hezbollah reemerges, but it has “no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Syria,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in remarks Tuesday.
“I authorized the Air Force to bomb strategic military capabilities left behind by the Syrian army, so that they would not fall into the hands of the jihadists,” Netanyahu said.
“We want relations with the new regime in Syria. But if this regime allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria, or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us — we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from him,” Netanyahu said.
IDF says they’ve destroyed almost all Assad regime capability
The Israel Defense Forces said it has hit about 320 targets, destroying almost all of the Assad regime army’s capability throughout Syria, from Damascus to Tartus.
“The operation destroyed dozens of fighter jets, combat helicopters, radars, surface-to-air missile batteries, ships, surface-to-surface missiles, rockets, weapons production sites, weapons depots, Scud missiles, cruise missiles, coastal missiles, sea-to-sea missiles, UAVs, and more,” the IDF said in a statement Tuesday.
“The operation is still ongoing on the ground, with the IDF ground forces operating in the buffer zone. There, too, the IDF is working to establish a grip on the area, destroy weapons, and ensure that they do not fall into unwanted hands,” the IDF said.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Fighting escalates between Kurds, Turkey-supported group in northeast Syria
With focus still on the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government, there are signs fighting is dramatically escalating in northeast Syria. The area is held by U.S.-backed Kurds, while Turkey-supported rebel groups have gone on the offensive there, aided by Turkish airpower.
The Turkish rebels have attacked the territory controlled by the Kurds, who helped the U.S. defeat the Islamic State in eastern Syria. There are fears that Turkey — which has waged a long war against the Kurds and considers the U.S.-backed group to be a terrorist group — will use the chaos in Syria to now force them back.
There are reports the Turkish-backed rebels are now advancing on Kobani, an important Kurdish-majority town on Turkey’s border. It comes a day after the rebels successfully drove the Kurds from the key town of Manbij in northern Syria.
There are concerns that if Turkey and its rebel proxies press on against the Kurds it could endanger the containment efforts against the Islamic State. The Kurds currently guard 50,000 Islamic State prisoners in camps and are also essential to prevent the group regaining a foothold.
There are calls from some for the U.S. to warn Turkey to pull the rebels back.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
US will recognize, fully support a future Syria government
Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the U.S.’s “full support for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition.”
“This transition process should lead to credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance that meets international standards of transparency and accountability,” Blinken said in a statement Tuesday.
“The Syrian people will decide the future of Syria. All nations should pledge to support an inclusive and transparent process and refrain from external interference. The United States will recognize and fully support a future Syria government that results from this process. We stand prepared to lend all appropriate support to all of Syria’s diverse communities and constituencies,” Blinken said in a statement.
Blinken added that it must also “fully respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance to all in need, prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensure that any chemical or biological weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed.”
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston
New Syrian government begins to form
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels have begun to form a new government as they seize power in Damascus, Syria. The group has appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as the new prime minister, according to state media outlet SANA.
Al-Bashir has previously held leadership roles and he will run the new government until March.
Israel destroys Syrian navy fleet
Israel destroyed the Syrian navy’s fleet overnight in a “large-scale operation,” according to the Israel Ministry of Defense.
“The IDF has been operating in Syria in recent days To harm and destroy strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel. The Navy operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet with great success,” Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement Tuesday.
“I hereby warn the rebel leaders in Syria: Whoever follows Assad’s path will end up like Assad – we will not allow an extremist Islamic terrorist entity to act against Israel across its border and at the risk of its citizens, we will do everything necessary to remove the threat,” Katz said.
Israel focused on ‘Iran’s movements and interests’ in Syria, IDF says
Israel is focused on Iranian forces and interests in Syria as it continues strikes across the country, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said during a Tuesday briefing.
Israeli warplanes have launched hundreds of strikes all over Syria since Bashar Assad’s regime was toppled on Sunday, according to local reports. Israeli troops have also crossed into the demilitarized buffer zone between the two countries established in 1974.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani refused to go into details on “the nature of what we are doing and long-term plan of these operations,” which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said included strikes on naval assets and port facilities in the Mediterranean city of Latakia.
“This is something we’ve been committed to for years,” Shoshani said during the briefing. Israel is committed to preventing “lethal strategic weapons from reaching the wrong hands,” he added.
“The primary focus is observing Iran’s movements and interests and our secondary focus is on local factions who are taking control of the area, assessing their actions, behavior and deterrence level and ensuring they do not mistakenly direct their actions toward us,” Shoshani continued.
Shoshani repeated the IDF’s earlier denial of local reports that Israeli tanks were operating on the outskirts of Damascus. Israeli forces, he said, have been operating in the “Area of Separation” buffer zone between Israel and Syria and “in a few additional points.”
-ABC News’ Bruno Nota and Joe Simonetti
Assad made ‘personal decision’ to resign, Kremlin says
Syrian President Bashar Assad made a personal decision to resign and leave the country as rebel forces closed in on the capital Damascus, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
“It was a personal decision of Assad to withdraw from the process of service as the head of state,” Peskov said when asked if Russia played any role in Assad’s decision.
Peskov said Monday that President Vladimir Putin will grant Assad political asylum in Russia.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Israeli operation against Syria ‘needs to stop,’ UN says
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen told reporters on Tuesday Israeli attacks and operations inside Syria are unacceptable.
“We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory,” Pederson said in Geneva, Switzerland. “This needs to stop. This is extremely important.”
Israeli leaders say the operations are intended to deny “extremist” groups access to weapons or territory that could be used for cross-border attacks into Israel.
Pedersen also said that the conflict in Syria is not yet over, pointing to continued clashes in the northeast of the country between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and the mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, which are partnered with the U.S. in operations against ISIS remnants.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Netanyahu in court for corruption trial
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in court in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to give evidence in his corruption trial, making him the first sitting Israeli prime minister to take the stand as a defendant.
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He denies all charges, calling the trial a “witch hunt.”
“This is the opportunity to dispel the allegations against me,” Netanyahu told the court on Tuesday morning. “There is a great absurdity in the charges and great injustice.”
Netanyahu had long sought to delay or avoid appearing in front of the court. If found guilty, he could face 10 years in prison.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Morgan Winsor
IDF denies reports of Israeli tanks near Damascus
The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday denied reports that Israeli tanks had been spotted on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus, amid the nascent Israeli operation inside a border buffer zone separating the two nations.
Lebanese news network Al Mayadeen reported that Israeli armor advanced into the Damascus countryside, while other unverified reports suggested that Israeli forces occupied several villages south of the capital.
The IDF rejected the reports. “The reports circulating in the media about the alleged advancement of Israeli tanks towards Damascus are false,” an IDF official told ABC News.
“IDF troops are stationed within the buffer zone, as stated in the past,” the official added.
Israeli forces entered the border buffer zone over the weekend amid the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime in Damascus. The area was demilitarized per a 1974 agreement between the two neighbors.
Israeli leaders say the deployment — and the ongoing nationwide airstrike campaign — is intended to prevent “extremist” groups using the country as a springboard for cross-border attacks.
Israel still occupies the Golan Heights plateau, which overlooks Damascus from the southwest. Israeli forces seized the strategic region during the 1967 war. Israel unilaterally annexed the area in 1981, a move recognized by the U.S. in 2019.
The vast majority of the international community still recognizes the Golan Heights as Syrian territory.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Joe Simonetti
US can engage with Syrian rebels despite terror designation, official says
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told journalists at a Monday briefing it is “obvious” that the U.S. wants to engage with Syrian rebel leaders including the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which is designated as a terrorist organization in the U.S.
Miller said the U.S. has “the ability to engage” with proscribed terror groups like HTS and is also speaking with the foreign backers of such groups and intermediaries within Syria.
HTS has roots in al-Qaeda and its leader — Abu Mohammed al-Jolani — fought with al-Qaeda against American occupation forces in Iraq. Jolani is still subject to a U.S. $10 million bounty.
Miller declined to say whether the U.S. will engage directly with Jolani, but said: “We want to have conversations with the key groups inside Syria, either directly or indirectly. It’s obvious that HTS is one of them.”
“I’m not ruling anything in or out either way,” Miller added.
Jolani has sought to distance himself from his jihadist background in recent media and public appearances. The rebel leader said he is committed to a pluralist transition to a new government of national unity.
Israel conducts 310 airstrikes in Syria since Assad’s fall, watchdog says
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog said Tuesday that Israel has conducted around 310 airstrikes across Syria since the fall of former President Bashar Assad’s regime on Sunday.
The group — which documents war crimes and human rights abuses related to the Syrian Civil War and has generally been described as pro-opposition and anti-Assad — said the targets included Syrian airports, aircraft, radars, air defense systems, scientific institutions and weapons and ammunition depots.
SOHR said Israeli strikes have been reported all across the country, from Deir Ez Zor in the east to the coastal province of Latakia in the west. Israeli strikes have reportedly hit targets in major cities including the capital Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Daraa, SOHR said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar confirmed Monday that Israeli forces “attacked strategic weapons arrays, residual chemical weapons capabilities, missiles and long-range rockets” inside Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of “extremist elements.”
Syrian Civil Defence did not find detainees, hidden facilities in Sednaya Prison
The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said it had concluded its search for detainees within Sednaya Prison on Monday after failing to uncover any “unopened or hidden areas” within the facility.
The prison previously held thousands of people detained by the former regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Families of the missing and survivors believed that some detainees might have been unable to leave over the past two days, potentially due to being held in tightly sealed and secured areas, those close to the situation told the White Helmets, prompting the search.
“Specialized teams conducted a thorough search of all sections, facilities, basements, courtyards, and surrounding areas of the prison,” the White Helmets said in a statement. “These operations were carried out with the assistance of individuals familiar with the prison and its layout. However, no evidence of undiscovered secret cells or basements was found.”
The statement also called on international organizations and local authorities to support the efforts of the Syrian Civil Defence in uncovering the fate of the detainees and returning them to their loved ones.
“We share the profound disappointment of the families of the thousands who remain missing and whose fates remain unknown,” the statement continued. “We stand in solidarity with the victims’ families, fully understanding their anguish and their longing for answers about their loved ones.”
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Blinken addresses US response to fall of Assad regime
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said senior officials from his department are “fanning out through the region as we speak” to work with their counterparts on how the U.S. can “help support the Syrian people as they decide their own path for the future.”
“We have a strong interest in preventing the reemergence of ISIS, given the death and destruction that it has wrought for so long,” he said during remarks at an unrelated event on Monday.
Blinken noted that ISIS would seek to exploit the moment, and that U.S. strikes on ISIS sites over the weekend demonstrate that the U.S. is “determined not to let that happen.”
“We have a clear interest in doing what we can to avoid the fragmentation of Syria, mass migrations from Syria and, of course, the export of terrorism and extremism,” he said. “The region and the world have a responsibility to support the Syrian people as they begin to rebuild their country and charge a new direction.”
Blinken also said that with every party they engage with, he and other U.S. officials will continue to seek information on American freelance journalist and Marine Corps veteran Austin Tice, who went missing while covering the civil war in August 2012, “so that we can find him and bring him home to his family and loved ones.”
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston
Top US hostage negotiator in Lebanon, official says
The special presidential envoy for hostage affairs is in Lebanon as the Biden administration tries to capitalize on the fall of the Assad regime to uncover information on the whereabouts of missing American freelance journalist and Marine Corps veteran Austin Tice, according to a U.S. official.
The envoy, Roger Carstens, was in Doha last week but traveled to Beirut when the Assad regime fell, the official said. The Biden administration is working through multiple partners in the Middle East — most notably Lebanon and Turkey — to track people coming out of Syrian jails.
However, U.S. officials say they still have very little intelligence on Tice’s whereabouts and can’t say with certainty that he is even in Syria.
Tice went missing while covering the civil war in August 2012.
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston
White Helmets offering reward for info on ‘secret’ Syrian prisons
The Syria Civil Defence, aka the White Helmets, announced Monday it is offering a $3,000 reward for any direct information that will lead them to Assad’s “secret” Syrian prisons.
The organization addressed former security officers and those working in the security branches for help in accessing the prisons, adding they will maintain the confidentiality of sources.
Turkey opening border gate with Syria for return of migrants
Turkish President Erdogan said Monday that Turkey is opening the border gate with Syria for the return of migrants.
Erdogan said they are opening the Yayladağı border gate to crossings “in order to prevent congestion and ease traffic.”
There were long lines at the border earlier awaiting this decision.
Germany and Austria pause Syrian asylum
Germany and Austria have paused asylum for Syrian refugees after Assad’s regime was toppled.
The German interior minister called the situation in Syria “very confusing” and that due to the unclear situation, they have “imposed a freeze on decisions for asylum procedures that are still ongoing until the situation is clearer.”
Nearly 1 million Syrian refugees live in Germany.
Austria’s interior minister has also instructed the ministry to “prepare an orderly repatriation and deportation program to Syria.”
Nearly 100,000 Syrian refugees live in Austria.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Parents of journalist missing in Syria hoping for positive news
Debra and Marc Tice — the parents of Austin Tice, a U.S. journalist and prisoner in Syria since 2012 — released a statement urging “anyone who can do so to please assist Austin so he can safely return home to our family” following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime.
“We are watching the events unfold in Syria and seeing families reunited with their loved ones after years of separation,” said a statement released via the Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club.
“We know this is possible for our family, too,” they added. “Austin Tice is alive, in Syria, and it’s time for him to come home. We are eagerly anticipating seeing Austin walk free.”
Tice went missing while reporting in Syria in 2012. President Joe Biden said Sunday his return remains possible, though acknowledged that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. “Assad should be held accountable,” Biden added.
-ABC News’ Dee Carden
Assad’s fall ‘good for the United States,’ Sullivan says
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told “Good Morning America” on Monday that “it is good for the United States and the world that a murderous dictator whose family has ruled Syria with an iron fist for half a century is gone.”
Sullivan did, however, echo President Joe Biden’s warning that there is real risk that “terrorists, jihadists and other people who do not have the United States best interests at heart…could take advantage of this.”
“We are vigilant about that,” Sullivan said in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “We are taking action to deal with that, and we’re prepared to work with anyone in Syria who wants a stable, inclusive, democratic future for that country.
Sullivan said that the U.S.’ top priority is “to protect the United States of America from the resurgence of a terror threat” emanating from Syria.
“That means holding ISIS down,” he added. “Don’t let them take advantage of this. Then there is the priority of making sure that our friends in the region are secure and stable — Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon — that these countries do not suffer from any kind of violent spillover effects from what’s happening in Syria.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Putin to grant Assad asylum in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin will grant political asylum to toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.
“Of course, such decisions cannot be made without the head of state,” Peskov said, as quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax. “This is his decision,”
“We have nothing to tell you about Mr. Assad’s whereabouts right now,” Peskov said, adding there was no official meeting between Putin and Assad planned.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Israel bombed Syrian chemical weapons sites, foreign minister says
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters on Monday that Israeli forces “attacked strategic weapons arrays, residual chemical weapons capabilities, missiles and long-range rockets” inside Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of “extremist elements.”
Israeli forces have been striking inside Syria and occupying positions on Syrian territory in recent days, as rebel forces — some with roots in jihadist organizations — surged into major Syrian cities and precipitated the collapse of President Bashar Assad’s regime in Damascus.
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday it had taken up positions in the demilitarized buffer zone between Israel and Syria established by a bilateral 1974 agreement.
Saar said the presence of “armed men” in the zone and their alleged attacks on United Nations positions there prompted the Israeli decision to cross the border.
Saar said Israeli deployments into the buffer zone are “targeted and temporary” and intended to prevent an “Oct. 7 scenario from Syria,” referring to last year’s devastating Hamas infiltration attack into southern Israel.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Dana Savir
Israeli forces cross into buffer zone separating occupied Golan Heights from Syria
Israel Defense Forces tanks and armored vehicles have entered the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria on Sunday night.
The move puts IDF troops in operations on four fronts in the Middle East, Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halevi said on Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
The advancement into Syria comes after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to Islamist rebels.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision was made to “protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned positions,” according to AP.
The IDF has reportedly warned Syrian residents in five southern communities to stay home for their safety.
Israeli forces on Sunday also took over the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, according to AP.
Iranian foreign minister says he fears ‘renewed civil war’ in Syria
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi commented on the fall of Syria’s government during an interview on Iranian state TV on Sunday.
He said Syria’s ousted president, Bashar al-Assad, was “surprised” and “complained about the way his own army was performing.”
Araghchi also said Iran was fully aware of the situation in Syria through “the intelligence and security system of our country.”
Iran is monitoring the developments in Syria and is concerned about the “possibility of a renewed civil war or a sectarian war between different sects or the division of Syria and the collapse of Syria and its transformation into a haven for terrorists,” Araghchi said.
-ABC News’ Hami Hamedi and Ellie Kaufman
US strikes 75 ISIS targets in Syria
The United States launched dozens of against ISIS targets in central Syria on Sunday in an attempt to “disrupt, degrade and defeat” the terrorist group, according to the head of the U.S. Central Command.
CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement that 75 ISIS targets were hit in precision airstrikes Sunday in Syria. He said the mission was carried out by U.S. Air Force assets, including B-52s, F-15s and A-10s.
“There should be no doubt — we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria. All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way,” Kurilla said.
Kurilla said the strikes hit known ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria.
During a speech at the White House on Sunday, President Joe Biden mentioned the U.S. strikes on ISIS targets in Syria. He said U.S. forces are also bolstering security at detention facilities in Syria where ISIS fighters are being held.
“We’re clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its capability and to create a safe haven,” Biden said. “We will not let that happen.”
