Al-Fassel | 2025-12-18

Recent leaks of private conversations involving former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have revealed his true sentiments toward Hizbullah.

The leaks expose a relationship based on tactical exploitation rather than shared ideology.

These revelations highlight Assad’s profound contempt for the Lebanese group, portraying them as expendable pawns used to secure his regime's survival.

For Hizbullah, this disclosure represents a bitter reckoning. It exposes the heavy toll they endured, thousands of lives lost in Syria, only to face mockery from the very regime they defended.

A tool to be used and discarded

Leaked video footage shows Assad and his former media advisor, Luna al-Shibl, openly mocking Hizbullah.

In one conversation, al-Shibl downplays Hizbullah's military prowess, suggesting the Syrian army has surpassed them in expertise, a sentiment which Assad shared.

She further mocked them, saying that while they claimed to be experts in guerrilla warfare, they disappeared as soon as things got serious.

Assad’s utter contempt for Hizbullah undermines any notions of solidarity or respect for the group.

To him, the alliance was merely a strategy to preserve his regime, in which everyone, fighters and supporters alike, was ultimately expendable.

These private remarks stand in stark contrast to the public narrative of a unified front.

For years, thousands of the group's fighters were deployed to Syria under the pretense of protecting holy shrines.

However, the leaks suggest their efforts were merely in service of prolonging Assad’s grip on power and furthering Iran's geopolitical ambitions.

Assad’s derision indicates that he viewed these fighters not as comrades-in-arms but as pawns in a larger game.

The facade of "resistance" crumbles

The concept of the "Axis of Resistance" has long been a cornerstone of Iran's malign agenda, projecting an image of a steadfast alliance.

However, the fall of the Assad regime has severely damaged this network, exposing its vulnerabilities.

The leaks further erode this facade by exposing the transactional and exploitative nature of the relationship between Assad, Iran, and the "Axis of Resistance."

Ironically, documents found after the fall of the Assad regime reveal a secret communication channel between Syria and Israel.

This channel was intended to limit Iran's influence and arms transfers to Hizbullah within Syria.

These revelations confirm that Assad was willing to play all sides to secure his survival, even at the expense of his Iranian and Hizbullah allies.

The internal mockery and strategic double-dealings exposed by these leaks paint a clear picture of Assad's intentions.

For the thousands of Hizbullah fighters who lost their lives in Syria, this truth exposes a grim betrayal.

Rather than achieving the lofty goals promised by their leaders, these men were treated as expendable resources, with their sacrifices mocked rather than honored.