World reacts to Bashar al-Assad’s fall, capture of Damascus 

Syrian opposition fighters have declared that the country has been “liberated” after they stormed the capital and announced that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the capital city to an unknown destination.

Joyous celebrations erupted in Damascus and other parts of the country, including along the border with neighbouring Lebanon, with many displaced Syrians deciding to return home.

The stunning opposition advance came after 13 years of brutal war, putting an end to more than half a century of the rule of the al-Assad family.

Here’s a selection of international reactions to the news. This page will be updated as more statements come in:

United Nations

“What is important is that we are able to find a situation where there is a political way out of this,” Geir Pedersen, UN envoy to Syria, said.

And that political way needs to be very different from what it has been before, it needs to be a process that is inclusive of everyone, and where we really focus on the need for unity, stability, where Syria is able to restore its sovereignty and its territory. There are lots of wounds that need to be healed.”

European Union

“The end of Assad’s dictatorship is a positive and long-awaited development. It also shows the weakness of Assad’s backers, Russia and Iran,” EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said in a post on X.

She added that the EU’s priority was to “ensure security” in the region and pledged to work with “all the constructive partners” in Syria and more broadly across the area.

“The process of rebuilding Syria will be long and complicated and all parties must be ready to engage constructively,” she said.

China

Beijing “is closely following the development of the situation in Syria and hopes that Syria returns to stability as soon as possible”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The Chinese government has actively assisted Chinese citizens who are willing to leave Syria in a safe and orderly way, and has maintained contact with… Chinese citizens who remain in Syria,” the ministry said.

“We urge the relevant Syrian parties to take practical measures to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Syria,” it added.

“At present, the Chinese embassy in Syria is still holding strong, and we will continue to provide full assistance to Chinese citizens in need.”

Egypt

Egypt has called on all parties in Syria to preserve the capabilities of the state and national institutions, the Egyptian foreign ministry said.

The country’s foreign ministry said it was following the situation with great care, affirming its support for the Syrian people and the country’s sovereignty and unity.

France

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s “barbaric state” in Syria, and sent wishes of peace to the war-torn nation’s people.

“The barbaric state has fallen. At last,” Macron wrote on X.

“I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I send them my wishes for peace, freedom, and unity.”

Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the fall of al-Assad as “good news” and urged a political solution to stabilise for the war-stricken country.

“Bashar al-Assad oppressed his people brutally. He has countless lives on his conscience and has driven numerous people to flee, many of whom have arrived in Germany,” Scholz said in a statement.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called al-Assad’s fall “a great relief” for Syrians.

“The end of Assad represents for millions of people in Syria a great relief,” she said, adding, “the country must not now fall into the hands of other radicals, whatever form they take.”

Israel

Amichai Chikli, Israeli diaspora affairs minister, says the opposition advances in Syria “are far from a cause for celebration” for his country, as he calls for the renewal of Israel’s control at Mount Hermon in the occupied Golan Heights and the establishment of a new line of defence based on the 1974 ceasefire line with Syria.

“Most of Syria is now under the control of affiliate organisations of” al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), he was quoted as saying by the Israel Hayom newspaper.

The majority of Syria’s Golan Heights region was occupied by Israel in 1967 and subsequently annexed in 1981.

In a separate statement, the military said: “Following the recent events in Syria… the [army] has deployed forces in the buffer zone and in several other places necessary for its defence, to ensure the safety of the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel.”

Italy

“I am following with concerned attention the evolution of the situation in Syria,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X.

“I am in constant contact with our embassy in Damascus and with the office of the Prime Minister. I have called an emergency meeting,” he added.

Lebanon

The Lebanese army said it was reinforcing its presence on the border with neighbouring Syria.

“In light of rapid developments and delicate circumstances that the region is going through… units tasked with monitoring and controlling the northern and eastern borders have been reinforced, in conjunction with tightening surveillance measures,” the army said in a statement.

Qatar

Qatar’s foreign ministry warned Syria must not be allowed to descend into chaos after the ouster of al-Assad.

The Gulf emirate said it was “closely monitoring the developments in Syria” and emphasised “the necessity of preserving national institutions and the unity of the state to prevent it from sliding into chaos”.

Russia

Russia said Assad had resigned from the presidency after talks with the sides involved in the conflict and had left the country, without saying where to.

“As a resut of talks between B. Assad and a range of participants of the conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he took the decision to resign from his presidential post and leave the country, giving instructions to proceed with the peaceful transfer of power,” Moscow’s foreign ministry said.

“Russia did not take part in these talks.”

The ministry also said Russian troops on their bases in Syria are on high alert but that there is no immediate threat to them.

Turkiye

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Syria’s government “had collapsed and control of the country is changing hands.”

Speaking at the Doha Forum in Qatar, Fidan said that “this didn’t happen overnight. For the last 13 years, the country has been in turmoil” since war began with al-Assad’s repression of democracy protests in 2011.

“Terrorist organisations must not be allowed to take advantage of this situation. Opposition groups must be united. We will work for stability and safety in Syria,” he added.

“The new Syria should not pose a threat to neighbours, it should eliminate threats.”

United Arab Emirates

Anwar Gargash, UAE diplomatic adviser to the president, said non-state actors should not be allowed the opportunity to exploit political vacuums.

“Unfolding events in Syria are also a clear indication of political failure and the destructive nature of conflict and chaos,” Gargash told the Manama Dialogue security forum in the Bahraini capital.

“President [Joe] Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners,” the White House said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, President-elect Donald Trump said al-Assad had “fled his country” after losing the backing of Russia.

“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer.

“There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.”

Yemen

Moammar al-Eryani, information minister of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, said on X: “The Yemenis, with their wisdom and steadfastness, are able to thwart the plans of Iran and its Houthi tool to violate their land and tamper with their destiny, just as those plans failed in Syria and Lebanon.”

He added that Iran’s “expansionist project, which used sectarian militias as tools to complete the Persian Crescent, sow chaos, undermine the sovereignty of states … is collapsing”.

Philippines

“The Philippines calls on all concerned parties to exercise restraint and refrain from further violence, to avert further casualties and deaths of civilians,” the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs said.

“We express concern regarding the situation of our Filipinos in Syria and advise them to take the necessary precautions and stay in contact with the Philippine Embassy in Damascus.”