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The collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime sparked nationwide celebrations, as scenes of jubilation and chaos unfolded across the country. In the early hours of December 8, videos emerged on social media showing groups of people gathering on Umayyad Square in Damascus, a key landmark in the capital. Thousands more joined them throughout the day, with some participants climbing atop a tank. Social media footage verified by RFE/RL showed people exiting the central bank building in Damascus carrying bags and boxes. Looting was reported in the capital and in other cities across the country, according to multiple eyewitness accounts. At the gates of the presidential palace in Damascus, video footage captured jubilant men cheering and firing weapons into the air. People were seen entering the palace freely throughout the day after Assad fled the country. Russian state media reported later on December 8 that he and his family had arrived in Moscow and been granted asylum. Video footage from inside the palace showed crowds milling around, as well as people carrying out furniture and valuables, leaving trashed rooms behind them. Verified video footage obtained by RFE/RL also showed the building of the Syrian Interior Ministry's immigration and passport department ablaze in Damascus. Statues of Assad's late father, Hafez al-Assad, who created the authoritarian system his son inherited, were dismantled nationwide after a lightning-fast rebel offensive. On Arwad Island, off the coast of Tartus and around 10 kilometers from a Russian naval base, jubilant crowds toppled a statue of the elder Assad, who died in 2000, and climbed onto the monument in celebration. In Latakia, a coastal town that was a stronghold of the Assad family, another statue of Hafez al-Assad was torn down and dragged through the streets behind a truck as revelers rode atop it. Images also showed the aftermath of the storming of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, which appeared to have been abandoned earlier on December 8. Iranian media reported that diplomats had already evacuated the premises. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow, Russian state media reported, as rebels have taken control of the Syrian capital, Damascus, bringing to an end the brutal, half-century rule of the Assad family. According to Russian media reports, Assad and his family have been granted asylum by Moscow. Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Assad "decided to resign" after "negotiations" with a "number of participants in the armed conflict" and left office "giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power." "Russia did not participate in these negotiations," the ministry added. Russia has been a longstanding ally of Syria, providing significant military and political support to Assad's regime, especially during the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011. The Russian Foreign Ministry's statement came as the rebels said in a statement aired on state TV that Damascus is "now free of Assad," whose family ruled the country with an iron fist since 1971. Many Syrians across the country took to the streets to celebrate Assad's ouster, pulling down statues and ransacking government buildings. Social media footage shows crowds of men entering the presidential place in Damascus, with reports of looting. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said in a video that the government is "ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people." "We believe that Syria is for all Syrians and that it is the country of all its sons and that this country can be a normal state that builds good relations with its neighbors and the world without entering into any regional alliances and blocs," Jalali said. He was later seen leaving his home on December 8, escorted by armed men, reportedly to meet the leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Sunni rebel group that led the current offensive against the Assad regime. HTS is a U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist organization. In recent years, the Islamist militant group severed ties with Al-Qaeda and sought to remake itself as a pragmatic alternative to the Syrian government. But concerns remain over its alleged rights abuses and ties to terrorist groups. Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the HTS, has sought to reassure Shi'ite Alawites and other Syrian minorities, including Christians. In Washington, President Joe Biden said the United States "will engage with all Syrian groups" as the country transitions to a post-Assad government. He warned that some of the rebel groups that helped overthrow Assad "have their own grim record" of human rights abuses even though they have been "saying the right things" in recent days. "As they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words but their actions," Biden said in a televised address from the White House on December 8. He said the United States will be closely watching the activities of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which could seek to use the power vacuum in Syria to again establish rule. Biden said the United States conducted a dozen precision strikes on IS positions in Syria earlier in the day. Setback For Russia Experts have said the fall of the Assad regime represents a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin, which, along with Tehran, has supported the Syrian government through many years of civil war. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that Russia and Iran did not appear to bolster the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), which was rapidly collapsing, by rushing in additional forces. Russia has an estimated 7,500 troops and multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim and strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin's actions in North and Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the Russian RIA Novosti news agency, the leaders of the armed Syrian opposition "have guaranteed security to the Russian military bases and diplomatic establishments in Syria." RFE/RL can not confirm those reports. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declined to comment on the fate of the Russian bases, saying he "wasn't in the business of guessing." Konstantin Kosachyov, deputy chairman of Russia's upper house of parliament, said on December 8 that Syrians will have to cope with a full-scale war alone, but he suggested Moscow was ready to support the Syrian people in certain circumstances. The ISW said Moscow had not yet begun to evacuate the naval base, "but it remains unclear whether Russia will keep its vessels at the port as Syrian rebels continue to advance swiftly across regime-held territory." Ruslan Suleymanov, a Russian expert on the Middle East, told RFE/RL that Moscow would "cooperate with the rebels" if they take power in Damascus and that HTS too has "claimed previously that it was ready to negotiate" with the Kremlin. "Putin wants to save his military presence in the region. In any case, to do that, he has to make concessions -- both to jihadists and to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan who supports [the rebels]," Suleymanov said. The surprise offensive began on November 27 during which a coalition of rebel groups led by HTS captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's second largest. Since then, they moved on to take other major cities with Assad's forces providing little resistance. Besides HTS, the fighters include forces of an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Turkey has denied backing the offensive, though experts say insurgents would not have launched it without the country's consent. The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and inflict losses on Assad, as well as his Russian and Iranian allies. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. Neighbors, World Powers React The developments in Damascus prompted Syria's neighbors to take urgent measures, with Lebanon announcing it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel said on December 8 it has deployed forces in a demilitarized buffer zone along its northern border with Syria and sent troops "other places necessary for its defense." The Israeli military said the deployment was meant to provide security for residents of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. The United States said it will maintain its presence in eastern Syria and will take measures necessary to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State (IS) in the region. The United States has about 900 soldiers in Syria. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro said Washington is "aware that the chaotic and dynamic circumstances on the ground in Syria could give [IS] space to find the ability to become active, to plan external operations." Speaking at a security conference in Bahrain on December 8, Shapiro said the United States is determined to work with its partners to "continue to degrade [IS] capabilities." "[We're determined] to ensure [IS's] enduring defeat, to ensure the secure detention of IS fighters and the repatriation of displaced persons," Shapiro added. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen described the latest developments as a "watershed moment in Syria's history" and urged all armed actors in the country to maintain law and order and preserve pubic institutions. Speaking in Doha on December 8, Pedersen also said he has no information on Assad's whereabouts. Tom Fletcher, head of the UN humanitarian aid agency, warned about the plight of the millions of Syrians displaced by nearly 14 years of the country’s civil war. Now many more are in danger, Fletcher said. “We will respond wherever, whenever, however we can, to support people in need, including reception centers -- food, water, fuel, tents, blankets,” he said. British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner called for a "political solution" while the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was time in Syria for unity, a peaceful political transition, and for fighting to end. President-elect Donald Trump said Russia and Iran are in a "weakened state" and called on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to end the nearly three-year war in Ukraine. Trump made the comments in a post on Truth Social on December 8 as Syrian rebels captured Damascus , ending the half-century rule of the Russia- and Iran-backed Assad family. The incoming U.S. president said Russia and Iran couldn't come to the support of Syrian dictator Assad because they were in a "weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success." Russia has lost about 600,000 soldiers since invading Ukraine in February 2022, Trump said, adding that Ukraine has lost about 400,000 defending its territory. "There should be an immediate cease-fire and negotiations should begin," Trump said. "I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!" The Kremlin did not immediately respond to Trump's comment. Paris Meeting Trump said in the post that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy "would like to make a deal." Trump held talks with Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on December 7 to discuss the war. Zelenskiy called the trilateral talks "good and productive" and said the leaders discussed the potential for "a just peace." Trump and Zelenskiy were among world leaders who gathered in Paris on December 7 to mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. "We talked about our people, the situation on the battlefield, and a just peace for Ukraine. We all want to end this war as quickly and fairly as possible," Zelenskiy said in a December 7 post on Telegram . "President Trump, as always, is determined. We are thankful for that," he added. Macron said , "Let us continue joint efforts for peace, security." Trump , who will take office on January 20, has criticized the tens of billions of dollars the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion. He has claimed he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Experts say it will be difficult to hammer out a peace deal quickly because there are so many aspects, including security guarantees for Ukraine and sanctions relief for Russia. In the meantime, the outgoing Biden administration has been accelerating weapons shipments to Ukraine ahead of the transfer of power to Trump to bolster its defenses. Washington said on December 7 that it is preparing a $988 million package of arms and equipment to Ukraine, funds taken from the remaining $2.21 billion available in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The funds will be used to buy precision missiles for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and for drones, the Pentagon said. European countries are also stepping up aid in case the Trump administration ends U.S. support for Kyiv. Zelenskiy announced on December 7 that Ukraine had received a second shipment of sophisticated F-16 fighter jets from Denmark. Copenhagen announced last year it would deliver a total of 19 aircraft to Ukraine. "The second batch of F-16s for Ukraine from Denmark is already in Ukraine. This is the leadership in protecting life that distinguishes Denmark," he wrote on Telegram . When Vladimir Putin took the reins of power in a post-Soviet Russia in shambles a quarter-century ago, he immediately set about restoring Moscow's status as a global power. It took 15 years, but Russia heralded its military intervention in the Syrian civil war as proof of its return as a force to be reckoned with on the international stage. Moscow leveraged that image to expand its influence throughout the Middle East and beyond as a counterweight to the West. Now, the fall of the government of President Bashar al-Assad, a key ally of Moscow, has dealt a serious blow to Russia's great-power ambitions. "Putin's military adventure in Syria was designed to demonstrate that Russia is a great power and can project its influence abroad," said Phillip Smyth, a Middle East expert. "Losing Syria is a huge slap in the face for Putin." Assad's ouster represents not only a reputational hit to Russia but likely a major strategic setback. Syria is home to two major Russia military installations: an air base in Hmeimim and a naval base in Tartus. The latter is Russia's only warm-water naval base outside the former Soviet Union and provides Moscow access to the Mediterranean Sea. "Russia has used its bases in Syria to project its power both into the eastern Mediterranean and into the broader Middle East," said Smyth. High-Maintenance Asset Russia's military intervention in Syria in 2015 changed the tide of the war. Moscow's devastating aerial campaigns against rebel positions helped the Syrian Army regain swaths of territory and keep Assad in power. Moscow's Syria campaign came a year after its invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula as well as its support for separatist forces in Ukraine's east. Moscow capitalized on its involvement in both Syria and Ukraine to sell itself as a power capable of challenging the United States, NATO, and the West in general while expanding its global reach from the Mediterranean to Africa and Latin America. Following Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Syria became more of an asset for Moscow, experts say, while also presenting the challenge of maintaining military campaigns on two fronts. With the anticipated fall of Russian military assets in Syria, following the collapse of Assad's government, the task has become even more daunting. Russia is already heavily invested in a major counteroffensive to regain captured territory in its southwestern Kursk region that it lost to Ukraine, to the point that it is relying on help from North Korean troops. At the same time, it is trying to take as much territory as it can in Ukraine's east before possible peace talks. Russia military facilities along the Mediterranean coast in western Syria could be overrun by militants led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and its allies. Aaron Zelin, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, said Russia simply does not have the same firepower at its disposal to protect its assets in Syria. "It is important to remember that Russia has to deal with its larger war in Ukraine now compared to when they first went in Syria in 2015," said Zelin. "Russia also has its assets fighting in sub-Saharan Africa, too. And unlike a decade ago, when Russia had the Wagner Group led by [the deceased Yevgeny] Prigozhin ... Russia doesn't have the same level of capacity or capability to deal with this now in the same way." Zelin said losing the Tartus naval base, in particular, would be an "extremely huge loss for Russia." "It's Russia's only warm-water port that it can use for its naval activities and power projection," he said. "Losing it would essentially cut Russia out of the core of the Middle East." Moscow did not send ground troops to help Damascus, which fell to the HTS and its allies on December 8. Russia conducted dozens of air strikes since the militants launched their offensive against Assad's forces in late November, but Moscow's limited intervention did little to stop the rebel advance. Russia will pay a huge price for its failure in Syria, experts say. The fall of Assad is a "major blow to Russia's claim of still being a global power in terms of sustaining military and political influence abroad," said Hamidreza Azizi, fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. From there, actors in other regions such as Latin America and Africa might "start rethinking their ties and their reliance on Russia as well," he said. Syrian rebels led by Islamist militants have entered the central city of Homs as they close in on Damascus while the country’s main allies -- Russia and Iran -- scrambled to protect the regime of authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad and their own assets in the country. Abu Mohammad al-Golani, a leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, said late on December 7 that the insurgent fighters were "in the final moments of liberating" Homs, a city of 775,000 people. HTS is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. Experts said the future of the Assad regime was hanging in the balance -- and that, if it fell, it would also represent a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin which, along with Tehran, has supported the Syrian government through many years of civil war. Media reports said many residents of Damascus were stocking up on supplies as thousands were attempting to leave the country through the border with Lebanon -- itself a war-torn nation in the increasingly chaotic Middle East. As fighting on the ground and rebel gains intensified, the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, and Turkey held emergency talks in Doha, Qatar, on December 7 calling for an end to hostilities in the most serious challenge to Assad’s rule in years. The U.S. State Department told RFE/RL that Washington was closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Syria. A spokesperson said the United States and its partners and allies urged that civilians, including members of minority groups, be protected. The spokesperson said it was time to negotiate an end to the Syrian conflict consistent with principals established in UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The spokesperson added that the refusal of the Assad regime to engage in the process has directly led to the current situation. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War ( ISW ) said that “Assad regime forces have collapsed and Assad’s backers do not appear willing to bolster the Syrian Arab Army by rapidly deploying additional forces.” Russia has multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim and strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin’s actions in Africa. The ISW said that Moscow had not yet begun to evacuate the base, “but it remains unclear whether Russia will keep its vessels at the port as Syrian rebels continue to advance swiftly across regime-held territory.” The American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats blog said the Assad regime “faces an existential threat given the widespread collapse of regime forces and lack of sufficient external backing to bolster these forces.” It added that “Russia will face logistic challenges that will undermine its Africa operations if it loses its footprint in Syria.” Mark Katz, a professor emeritus at George Mason University who focuses on Russia and the Middle East, told RFE/RL that the Kremlin risks losing its air assets in Syria if it can’t agree with Turkey on the use of its airspace. “In one sense, the Turkish government might be happy to grant permission as the more the Russian Air Force is out of Syria, the happier Ankara will be,” he said. "Russia would also face difficulties relocating its warships because they would need Turkey's permission to get into the Black Sea. They would have to go through NATO waters," he added. Meanwhile, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said the United States “should have nothing to do” with the war in Syria, where a small contingent of U.S. forces remain deployed in some areas. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT,” he wrote on the Truth Social platform. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Fast-moving developments on the ground were difficult to confirm, but media outlets quoted witnesses as well as rebel and Syrian army sources as saying militant fighters were continuing to make large gains on December 7 in their effort to topple Assad. Some reported signs of panic in Damascus, with shortages of critical supplies, although the government said Assad was at work as usual in the capital. Government forces and their Russian allies appear to have failed in their attempt to halt the rebel push toward Homs, which stands at an important intersection between the capital, Damascus, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus. Homs is 140 kilometers from the capital. Witnesses and army sources told Reuters and other news agencies that rebels had entered Homs amid reports that government forces had pulled out. Celebrations were reported in some areas of the city. Homs Province is Syria’s largest in size and borders Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan. The city is also home to one of Syria’s two state-run oil refineries. The AFP news agency quoted security sources as saying hundreds of Syrian government troops, some injured, had fled across the border into Iraq. The surprising offensive was launched last week by a coalition of rebel groups led by the Islamist HTS faction. Besides HTS, the fighters include forces of an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Turkey has denied backing the offensive, though experts say insurgents would not have launched it without the country's consent. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said civilians were fleeing from Homs toward the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government and the site of the Russian air and naval bases. Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declined to comment on the fate of the Russian bases, saying he “wasn’t in the business of guessing.” The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and inflict losses on Assad, as well as his Russian and Iranian allies. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. Following the foreign ministers' meeting in Doha, Lavrov said -- referring to HTS rebels -- that it was "inadmissible to allow terrorist groups" to take control of Syrian territory and that Russia would oppose them with all means possible. Since the rebels seized control of Aleppo a week ago, they have moved on to capture other major cities with Assad’s forces providing little resistance. Besides capturing Aleppo in the north, Hama in the center, and Deir al-Zor in the east, rebels rose up in southern Suweida and Deraa, saying on December 6 they had taken control of the two cities and posting videos showing insurgent celebrations there. Taking Deraa and Suweida in the south could allow a concerted assault on the capital, Damascus, the seat of Assad's power, military sources said. Video posted online showed protesters in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana chanting and tearing down a statue of Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1971 until his death in 2000, when his son took power. Golani, the HTS leader, told CNN in an exclusive interview on December 5 from Syria that Assad’s government was bound to fall, propped up only by Russia and Iran. “The seeds of the regime’s defeat have always been within it,” he said. “But the truth remains, this regime is dead.” Russian forces bombed a key bridge and highway to try and slow a lightning advance by rebels toward the Syrian city of Homs as thousands fled the area. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said civilians were fleeing from Homs towards the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government and the site of Russian air and naval bases. The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and deal losses to the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, as well as his allies in Russia and Iran. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. A Syrian Army officer was quoted by Reuters as saying that Russian bombing overnight had destroyed the Rastan bridge along the key M5 highway linking Homs to Hama, another city the rebels captured a day earlier. The rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have made major advances over the past several days, including the capture of Aleppo, the country's largest city, as well as 14 central villages and towns, and gotten as close as 35 kilometers from the Russian-operated Khmeimim air base. HTS is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is key to the defense of Damascus and the gateway to the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, the former being home to a strategic Russian naval base. In his first media interview in several years, Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the group's leader, told CNN the goal "remains to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad regime, and it is our right to use all available means to achieve this goal." Besides HTS, the rebels also include an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. The foreign ministers of Iraq, Syria, and Iran were to meet on December 6 to discuss the situation, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the top diplomats from Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara will meet in Qatar on December 7. The state news agency TASS reported on December 6 that Russia's embassy in Syria had urged Russian nationals to leave the country due to the situation. Militants have seized control of a second major city in Syria in what experts say is a turning point in the country’s 13-year civil war. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group and its allies captured the key city of Hama on December 5, just days after taking over the country's second city, Aleppo. The lightning advance is a significant blow to President Bashar al-Assad, who has relied on key allies Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. The fall of Hama "illustrates that this offensive has staying power and is not just a blitzkrieg," said Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute. Hama is key to the defense of the capital, Damascus, and the gateway to Syria's coastal cities -- the heartland of the Alawites, the sect of Shi’ite Islam to which Assad and many of his supporters belong. The coast is also home to a strategic Russian naval base and air base. "It makes it easier [for the militants] to potentially take over Damascus," Zelin said. Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iranian proxies and Shi'ite militias, said the fall of Hama was a "game-changer," with the militants "demonstrating that the Assad military machinery is a shell." Still, despite losing two key cities in little over a week, Assad is not yet facing an existential crisis, experts say. Syrian government forces -- who suffer from low morale and poor pay as well as dysfunction in the chain of command -- still control Homs, the country’s third city, and the capital. As the militants push further south to "the core territories of the regime," Zelin said, they will face stiffer resistance. Assad has relied heavily on Tehran and Moscow to shore up his forces. But both countries have been distracted by their own crises. Since 2013, Iran deployed hundreds of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officers to recruit and train tens of thousands of local and foreign Shi'ite fighters. Russia’s aerial campaigns against rebel positions since 2015 helped the Syrian Army and Iran-backed militias regain swaths of territory. Moscow is preoccupied with its war in Ukraine. Iran has been focused on other conflicts in the Middle East, including in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, another key player in the Syrian conflict and ally of Damascus, has been severely weakened after a yearlong war with Israel. Moscow and Tehran have been slow in getting more support to Assad. Russia has intensified air strikes on militant-held areas and Iran-backed Shi’ite militias have headed to the front lines. But it is unclear if that will be enough to stop the advance of the HTS, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and its allies. "Iran requires air support for its militias and recruits, but Russia is having trouble providing it due to Ukraine," Smyth said. "Additionally, the Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah war had been extraordinarily costly for Iran's command and control apparatus in Syria that relied on Hezbollah. It will be a slower-burning process than before." The Syrian Army said it was redeploying troops "to preserve civilians lives and prevent urban combat" after Islamist-led rebels entered the key city of Hama, another loss for the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, as well as his allies in Russia and Iran. "Over the past few hours, with the intensification of confrontations between our soldiers and terrorist groups...these groups were able to breach a number of axes in the city and entered it," a Syrian Army statement said on December 5. Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is key to the defense of Damascus and the gateway to the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, the former being home to a strategic Russian naval base. Syrian and Russian forces had shelled the rebels a day earlier and used air strikes to try and stop their advance. "With that (advance in Hama), Assad's in real trouble. Homs is next & its countryside is FAR more amenable to facilitating an opposition advance," Charles Lister, a senior fellow and the director of the Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs at the Middle East Institute, wrote on X. The rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have made major advances over the past several days, including the capture of Aleppo, the country's largest city, as well as 14 central villages and towns, and gotten as close as 35 kilometers from the Russian-operated Khmeimim air base. Syria turned over the air base to Russia in 2015 as Moscow moved in to help Damascus turn the tide of a four-year civil war in its favor. Besides HTS, the rebels also include an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. The United Nations has said tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the fighting. The footage is striking, stark -- and familiar -- from both Syria and Ukraine. In Syria’s Idlib Province, one man sprays foam on a tangle of flaming wreckage as others run down a rubble-strewn street and into a heavily damaged hospital corridor. At a camp for displaced people, a resident says he pulled the dead bodies of five people from the debris after what he says was a Russian air strike. “May God accept them as martyrs,” he said of the victims in a video filmed by the Associated Press. In 2015, when Russia intervened in the civil war in Syria, its air strikes were the most crucial part of a campaign that was instrumental in averting a potential government defeat and keeping President Bashar al-Assad in power. In addition to propping up an ally, Russia’s first major military foray outside the former Soviet Union in decades increased Moscow’s clout in the Middle East and beyond. It was a slap in the face of the United States and the West, which despised Assad for his human rights record and wanted him out. Those gains for Russian President Vladimir Putin came at an enormous cost for Syrian civilians , who were often the victims of the devastating air strikes despite Moscow’s claim that it only targets what it calls “terrorists.” Estimates of overall civilian deaths since the war began in 2011 range from more than 300,000 to over 600,000. Now, it’s happening again, as Assad’s government and Russia scramble to stop a surprise offensive led by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. The HTS and allied groups have captured most of Aleppo, Syria’s second city, in the biggest push by government opponents since a cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey in 2020 led to a relative lull in the war. “Russia presided over very extensive civilian damage in Syria in the past, and there is no reason to believe that it will be any different this time,” Jenny Mathers, an expert on Russian politics and security and a senior lecturer at Aberystwyth University, said in written comments to RFE/RL. Accounts and images from Idlib -- a rebel and militant stronghold in northwestern Syria -- and elsewhere since the offensive began late November appear to bear that out. Russian air strikes damaged a cluster of four hospitals and a health administration building in Idlib on December 2, according to the White Helmets, a rescue organization operating in opposition-held parts of Syria. Photos and footage showed burning vehicles, clouds of smoke, buildings damaged inside and out, and streets strewn with dust and debris. “Most of the strikes have seemed to be directed at assets which may be considered crucial to [Russia’s] operational objectives,” Nicole Grajewski, fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said in written comments to RFE/RL. “However, Russia has never shown a real particular concern for civilian casualties, especially in rebel-held areas,” she added. In part, that’s because Russia’s air forces are “not amazing at dynamic targeting,” Grajewski wrote. But she suggested that Russia has also shown a lack of concern for civilian life with its “prior siege tactics in eastern Ghouta and Aleppo during the earlier stages of the campaign -- not to mention Ukraine.” 'An Ad Hoc Response' Since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces have frequently hit apartment buildings, private homes, and public places such as supermarkets and shopping malls in cities and towns across the country. The missile and drone attacks have killed and wounded civilians daily. Russia has also targeted crucial civilian facilities , such as power plants and other energy infrastructure. Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russian politics and security, said that for the most part, Russia “neither deliberately targets civilians nor avoids them: if they are in the way of a strike deemed operationally necessary, so be it.” “That said, sometimes they do deliberately target civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, power stations and water plants, in order to drive people out of areas they wish to depopulate,” he added in written comments. But he said that in terms of tactics and aims, the current Russian bombings in Syria differ from its air campaign against Ukraine. In Syria, “this is an ad hoc emergency response to a crisis, in Ukraine, a deliberate strategy of degrading the critical national infrastructure,” said Galeotti, who is an honorary professor at the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies. “However, they certainly reflect a common doctrine, a way of war that regards civilian casualties as inevitable -- and sometimes necessary,” he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed the need for diplomacy to resolve the conflict in northern Syria in a phone call on December 3 to discuss the renewed fighting. A statement from Erdogan’s office after the call said Syria should not become a source of greater instability. "President Erdogan emphasized that while Turkey continues to support the territorial integrity of Syria, it also strives for a just and permanent solution in Syria," Erdogan told Putin in their conversation on December 3, according to the statement from Erdogan's office posted on X. He also said it is important to open more space for diplomacy in the region and the Syrian regime must engage in the political solution process, according to the statement. Erdogan vowed Turkey will maintain its determined stance on the fight against the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been designated as a terrorist group by Turkey and the United States, and its "extensions,” who are trying to take advantage of the recent developments in Syria, the statement said. Erdogan and Putin spoke as Syrian rebels advanced against government forces after capturing Aleppo last week. The rebels pushed close on December 3 to the major city of Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the rebels said. The Syrian Observatory said on December 3 that the toll from the rebel offensive in the north had risen to 602 dead, including 104 civilians. An attack on Hama would ramp up pressure on Assad, whose Russian and Iranian allies have scrambled to support him against the revived rebellion. The city has remained in government hands since civil war erupted in 2011. A statement from Syria's army command said its forces were striking "terrorist organizations" in north Hama and Idlib provinces with Russian air support. The Kremlin said Putin stressed the need for a "speedy end to the terrorist aggression against the Syrian state by radical groups." Both leaders noted the importance of further close coordination between Russia, Turkey, and Iran on the matter, a Kremlin statement said. "The two presidents will continue to be in contact with each other in the context of seeking steps to de-escalate the crisis," the statement said. The Syrian civil war had been mostly dormant for years until a major offensive by militants in northwestern Syria revived the conflict. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies last week seized control of most of Aleppo and the surrounding countryside, marking the biggest offensive in years. HTS is a militant Islamist group that seeks to establish a state in Syria governed by Islamic law. The U.S.-designated terrorist organization has between 5,000 and 10,000 fighters, according to U.S. intelligence estimates. The conflict has pitted Moscow and Tehran against Turkey, which supports armed groups involved in the HTS-led offensive. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations late on December 3 accused Ukrainian intelligence services of aiding the HTS. Rebels fighting with HTS are "openly flaunting" that they are supported by Ukraine, Vasily Nebenzya told the UN Security Council. The envoy said there was an "identifiable trail" showing Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service was "providing weapons to fighters" and claimed Ukrainian military instructors from the GUR are training HTS fighters for combat operations, including against Russian troops in Syria. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said earlier that Russia and Iran "bear the main responsibility" for the recent escalation in fighting. It also noted Ukrainians were being targeted on a nightly basis by Iranian-designed drones. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies in Iran "continue to make every effort not to lose control over the puppet Syrian regime, which is associated by the majority of Syrians with inhuman cruelty, tyranny, and crimes," the ministry said on December 2. There are indications the conflict could escalate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on December 3 in an interview with a Qatari news outlet that Tehran would consider sending troops to Syria if Damascus asked. Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani said Baghdad would not be "a mere spectator" in Syria and blamed Israeli military strikes on the Syrian government for the rebel advance, his office said. Compounding Assad's problems, fighters from a U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led coalition battled government forces in the northeast, both sides said, opening a new front along a vital supply route. Syria's devastating 13-year civil war was mostly dormant for years. But a major offensive by militants in northwestern Syria has revived the conflict and dragged in regional powers, including Russia. Since late November, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies have seized control of most of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, and the surrounding countryside. The offensive poses a major threat to President Bashar al-Assad, who has maintained his grip on power with the backing of key allies Russia and Iran. The conflict has pitted Moscow and Tehran against Turkey, which supports armed groups involved in the HTS-led offensive. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham HTS is a militant Islamist group that seeks to establish a state in Syria governed by Islamic law. Many of its members are followers of Salafism, an ultraradical sect under Sunni Islam. The group first appeared in 2012 under the name Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. Based in the northwestern province of Idlib, it later changed its name several times and distanced itself from Al-Qaeda. In 2017, it merged with other opposition groups to form HTS. A U.S.-designated terrorist organization since 2018, the HTS has between 5,000 and 10,000 fighters, according to U.S. intelligence estimates . HTS is allied with several smaller militant Islamist groups, including Faylaq al-Sham, Jaysh al-Izza, Harakat Ahrar al-Sham, and the Turkistan Brigade. The latter is made up of foreign fighters from China and Central Asia. Turkey-Backed Syrian National Army Turkey, Syria's northern neighbor, is a major player in the conflict. Ankara supports the Syrian National Army (SNA), a rebel group involved in the ongoing offensive in northern Syria. Turkey also has some influence over HTS, experts say. The main target of the SNA has been the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SNA recently seized control of Tel Rifaat, a predominately Kurdish town in northern Syria. The Kurds are a long-oppressed ethnic minority in Arab-majority Syria. Since 2016, Turkey has launched several cross-border ground operations against the SDF, a key Western ally in the campaign against the Islamic State (IS) extremist group. The SDF is a coalition that includes the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist group by Turkey and the United States. The United States maintains around 900 troops in southeastern Syria along the border with Jordan and Iraq. Iran Iran has a longstanding relationship with Syria, where it has significantly boosted its influence since the civil war erupted in 2011. Tehran intervened militarily in 2013 and played a key role in shoring up Assad's forces. It deployed hundreds of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officers to recruit and train tens of thousands of local and foreign Shi'ite fighters. For Iran, Syria provides a crucial land corridor to the Levant that is considered the logistical backbone of the so-called axis of resistance, Tehran's loose network of regional allies and proxies. Syria is the only other state actor in the axis. Hamidreza Azizi, fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said ensuring Assad stays in power is "even more important now for Iran than it was before." That is because Tehran intends to use the land corridor through Syria to rearm and resupply its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, whose military capabilities were degraded following the recent war with Israel, said Azizi. Iran has spent billions of dollars to keep Assad in power and is unlikely to ditch its investment, experts say. Russia Russia's military intervention in Syria's civil war in 2015 changed the tide of the war. Moscow's aerial campaigns against rebel positions helped the Syrian Army and pro-Iran militias regain swaths of territory but also caused widespread civilian casualties. "When Russia first intervened in Syria's civil war, it was mainly about supporting an ally in the region, wanting to shore up an existing regime and avoiding instability that would follow its collapse, and wanting to push back against terrorism," said Jenny Mathers, senior lecturer on Russian politics at Aberystwyth University. But now it is also a matter of pride, Mathers said, because Moscow would "lose face" if the Assad government were to fall after years of Russian support. Russia has two major military installations in Syria: an air base in Khmeimim and a naval base in Tartus, which provides Moscow access to the Mediterranean Sea. Experts say losing an ally in Syria would be a blow to Russia's prestige on the international stage and its regional ambitions. Since the HTS and its allies launched their surprise offensive, Russia has launched dozens of air strikes in areas under the militants' control. The leader of Hezbollah has claimed that its cease-fire deal with Israel is a "divine victory" for the Lebanese political party and militant group. In his first address since the cease-fire took effect on November 27, Naim Qassem said on November 29 that the Iran-backed group had "won because we prevented the enemy from destroying Hezbollah" and weakening the Lebanese "resistance." Hezbollah, which controls much of southern Lebanon and has representatives in parliament, is designated in its entirety by the U.S. as a terrorist organization but the EU has blacklisted only its military wing. The cease-fire ended nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel ramped up the pressure by launching a ground offensive in southern Lebanon in October and carrying out massive aerial bombardments of Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut and elsewhere. The truce ends the presence of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israel, too, must withdraw its ground forces from Lebanon within 60 days of the deal going into force. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on November 26 warned Hezbollah that Israel would take action if it suspected that Hezbollah had violated the agreement. On November 29, hours before Qassem made his speech, Israel said it had struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon after detecting militant activity. The United States and France are overseeing the implementation of the truce, which includes provisions for thousands of Lebanese soldiers moving into southern Lebanon to work with UN peacekeepers and keep Hezbollah away from the Israeli border. Hezbollah had been launching rockets at northern Israel since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. It said it would stop its attacks only after Israel ended its war in Gaza. Over the past 14 months, Israel killed nearly the entirety of Hezbollah's leadership, including Qassem's predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah , and decimated the group's military arsenal. Israel has vowed to ensure Iran cannot continue to fund and arm the group, and has warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against facilitating Iranian aid for Hezbollah. A U.S.-brokered deal to end hostilities in Lebanon is a significant win for Israel, which achieved its key war aims , experts say. The cease-fire agreement that came into effect on November 27 ended nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group and political party. Israel has eroded Hezbollah as a military power as well as a political and economic force in Lebanon. Israel has also succeeded in decoupling Hezbollah's rocket and missile attacks on Israel from the Gaza war. The Iran-backed group had vowed to continue its attacks until Israel ended its ongoing yearlong war in the Palestinian enclave. The truce will also end the presence of Hezbollah -- a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, although the EU has only blacklisted its armed wing -- in southern Lebanon, its stronghold. Israel, too, must withdrawal its ground forces from Lebanon. "Israel got the deal it wanted," said Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at the Bahrain-based Le Beck International consultancy. "Some are arguing in Israel that it would have been better to continue the war and aim for Hezbollah's full defeat, but the deal Israel achieved is as good as it could have hoped for," he added. Don't Underestimate Hezbollah Israel's devastating aerial bombardment of Lebanon decimated Hezbollah's leadership and military arsenal. But experts say it is too early to write off the group, which has representatives in parliament and retains support among the Shi'ite Muslim community in Lebanon. "Hezbollah is now a shadow of its former self, but it remains dangerous -- both to Israel and its many opponents in Lebanon," said Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Still, the war has shattered the armed group's narrative that it is Lebanon's protector against Israel, experts say. Hezbollah vowed to continue attacking Israel until it ended its war in Gaza. But the group was forced to drop that demand. The Israel-Hezbollah conflict killed over 3,600 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and displaced over 1 million people. Large areas of southern Lebanon and parts of the capital, Beirut, lie in ruins. "Not only was it not able to defend Lebanon, but it dragged it into a conflict for reasons outside of Lebanese interests, and now effectively gave up on this very narrative -- as it decoupled from Gaza," said Horowitz. "The group will face a legitimacy crisis, and will have to re-invent itself, and it will have to do so with a far less intelligent and politically shrewd leadership at its helm," he added. Hezbollah has not publicly commented on the cease-fire deal. But Hassan Fadlallah, a Lebanese lawmaker and member of Hezbollah, insists that the group will stay armed. "A lot of political groups in Lebanon will oppose this," Assaad Bechara, a political analyst based in Lebanon, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda. "Hezbollah will not be present in Lebanon's southern borders and will not face Israel, so their weapons will be aimed [at Lebanon]. Lebanon's transition phase will be very difficult and precarious." The Iran Angle Hezbollah has long been the crown jewel within Iran's loose network of regional allies and proxies known as the "axis of resistance." It also served as Iran's first and most formidable line of defense against Israel. Iran will try to use the respite afforded by the cease-fire to help Hezbollah "rehabilitate and reestablish its rank and file," said Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Azizi added that Iran and its allies view the cease-fire agreement as a "temporary respite until the next phase of confrontation with Israel." Under the terms of the cease-fire deal, thousands of Lebanese soldiers will be stationed in southern Lebanon along with a UN peacekeeping force. The United States will provide military support to the Lebanese Army and will ensure the implementation of the deal along with France. The presence of the West will likely be a major source of concern for Iran, which has long exerted its influence in Lebanon through Hezbollah, experts say. Tehran will see this as an attempt to bolster Hezbollah's domestic political rivals and " erode the potential for Hezbollah to remain active in Lebanese politics," Azizi said. A cease-fire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has come into effect in southern Lebanon after almost 14 months of fighting that triggered concerns of a wider conflict in the region. After the cease-fire kicked off at 4 a.m. local time, the Israeli military warned civilians not to return to their homes in south Lebanon yet and not to approach Israeli positions. However, convoys of civilians crossed into southern Lebanon, defying the both the Israeli warning and appeal by the Lebanese Army, which is set to deploy to the area to replace the Israeli forces. Hezbollah is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and its military wing is blacklisted by the European Union. The cease-fire was overwhelmingly approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, Netanyahu’s office said on November 26, marking a major development toward peace between Israel and Hezbollah militants. The move was immediately welcomed by U.S. President Joe Biden, who said it represents a fresh start for Lebanon and shows that peace is possible after nearly 14 months of cross-border fighting that forced tens of thousands of Israelis to flee and killed thousands of Lebanese. Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 margin. Earlier, Netanyahu defended the cease-fire agreement as he recommended his security cabinet adopt the plan, vowing to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the deal. In the hours leading up to the meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings, while Hezbollah said it launched drones toward Israel amid cross-border fire. In a televised address, Netanyahu did not say how long the truce would last but noted that the length of the cease-fire "depends on what happens in Lebanon." He added: "If Hezbollah violates the agreement and attempts to rearm, we will strike. If they try to renew terror activities near the border, we will strike. If they launch a rocket, dig a tunnel, or bring in a truck with missiles, we will strike." The cease-fire marks the first major step toward ending the violence triggered by the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. However, the truce will not apply directly to Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Shortly after the cease-fire took effect, Hamas said it was also "ready" for a truce. Earlier, Netanyahu said on November 26 that Israel would now focus its efforts on Hamas and releasing the hostages seized by the militants on October 7. "From Day 2 of the war, Hamas was counting on Hezbollah to fight by its side. With Hezbollah out of the picture, Hamas is left on its own," he said. "We will increase our pressure on Hamas and that will help us in our sacred mission of releasing our hostages." Biden said that Israel reserved the right to resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce. "This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities," Biden said at the White House shortly after Netanyahu announced the security cabinet approval of the truce. If any party breaks the terms of the deal, "Israel retains the right to self-defense." He said that over the next 60 days civilians on both sides will be able to safely return to their own communities. The deal requires Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon's army to deploy some 5,000 troops in the region, while Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the border south of the Litani River. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the cease-fire and said it was a "fundamental step towards establishing calm and stability in Lebanon." The war has killed at least 3,799 people in Lebanon since October 2023, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. On the Israeli side, the hostilities have killed at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians, authorities say. The war in Lebanon escalated after nearly a year of limited cross-border exchanges of fire initiated by Hezbollah. Separately, Syria's Defense Ministry said six people were killed in Israeli strikes on border crossings with Lebanon just after midnight on November 27, hours before the cease-fire took effect. Yemen's Huthi rebels have attacked international shipping and fired on U.S. naval forces in the Red Sea for over a year. The Huthis' missile and drone attacks have disrupted a key global trade route and triggered retaliatory strikes by the United States and Britain. Now, U.S. media reports suggest that Russia has been helping the rebels pick their targets -- most of them commercial ships owned or operated by Western companies or vessels heading to or coming from Israel. Experts say Russia is expanding its cooperation with the Huthis, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization that is backed by Iran, including by sharing intelligence. Moscow could even supply the Huthis with advanced arms in response to Washington loosening restrictions on Ukraine's use of U.S.-supplied weapons. "It sends a message to the United States that Russia could make life very painful if it wants to, and it's a not-so-veiled threat that could be construed as retaliation for Washington's assistance to Ukraine," said Colin Clarke, director of policy and research at the New York-based Soufan Group intelligence consultancy. Enemy Of My Enemy The Huthis have said their attacks on Western and Israeli targets in the Red Sea are in response to Israel's devastating yearlong war in the Gaza Strip. The rebels have vowed to continue their attacks, which include direct missile and drone attacks on Israel, until a cease-fire is reached in the Palestinian enclave. The Gaza war has pitted Israel against Iran's so-called axis of resistance, a loose network of state and nonstate actors that include the Huthis, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Shi'ite militias in Iraq and Syria. Experts say Russia's support for the Huthis aligns with the Kremlin's narratives about opposing the West and empowering anti-Western armed groups globally. "The Kremlin is interested in having friends who can test the nerves of Moscow's enemies in the Red Sea or anywhere in the Middle East," Ruslan Suleymanov, an academic and oriental studies expert, told Current Time. He added Russia also wants to be seen supporting any group that "stands up to the West." U.S. media reports and intelligence in recent months suggest that Russia is providing intelligence , including satellite data, to the Huthis to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea. Since July, reports have said the Kremlin even threatened to transfer anti-ship missiles to the Huthis, but that the United States and Saudi Arabia dissuaded Russia . Experts say that could change after Washington on November 17 reportedly allowed Ukraine to use longer-range U.S. Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike inside Russia. "The Russian consideration of arming the Huthis has been directly related to what [Russian President] Vladimir Putin perceives as U.S. escalation against Russia in progressively loosening restrictions on Ukraine's use of U.S.-supplied weaponry," said Kenneth Katzman, former senior Middle East analyst for the U.S. Congress. In addition to disrupting shipping in the Red Sea, Russia is reportedly using the Huthis to recruit fighters from Yemen to join the war against Ukraine. Moscow is also ensuring that Russian ships can safely transit the Red Sea. The Huthis have wrested control of Yemen's northwest and Red Sea coastline since the country's devastating civil war erupted in 2014. Boon For The Huthis Experts say the Huthis stand to gain by expanding their relations with Russia. Clarke of the Soufan Group said Russian intelligence helped the rebels more accurately target Western vessels in the Red Sea. It also shows that the Huthis are not an "uncontrollable gang of terrorists," he said. "On the contrary, they are a rational actor, a highly capable organization that is becoming an even bigger player in the Middle East and doing so through asymmetric means," Clarke added. Iran is the Huthis' main military backer, supplying them with weapons technology and missile components, according to U.S. intelligence. Experts say the rebels would benefit significantly from Russian missile technology, which Katzman said was "far more precise and effective" than the arms provided by Tehran. This could lessen the group's dependence on Iran, an ally of Russia. "The Russian weaponry might even enable the Huthis to successfully strike U.S. and coalition warships, which could escalate the Red Sea conflict enormously, were the Huthis to actually strike a U.S. naval vessel," Katzman said. The United Arab Emirates on November 25 disclosed the names of three suspects detained in the killing of a 28-year-old Israeli-Moldovan ultra-Orthodox rabbi saying they were Uzbek nationals. The suspects were arrested a day earlier after the body of Zvi Kogan, who ran a Kosher grocery store in Dubai and was also a representative of the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, was discovered by security services. U.A.E. authorities identified the suspects as Mahmudjon Abdurahim, 28, Olimboi Tohirovich, 28, and Azizbek Kamilovich, 33, apparently giving patronymic names of the last two men instead their last names. They did not say if official charges have been filed against the suspects. "Hate has no place in our world. Our thoughts are with his family, the Jewish community, and all who grieve. We are in contact with Israel and the U.A.E.," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said in a statement . Kogan had been reported missing on November 22. His body was found later in the city of Al Ain. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the killing of Kogan, calling it a "heinous anti-Semitic terrorist act." While Israeli officials have not publicly accused archrival Iran for the deadly attack, analysts noted that Tehran has been threatening retaliation against Israel for recent air strikes it carried out on Iranian soil after Iran launched a missile attack against Israel. Tehran has denied any involvement in the murder of Kogan. The Muslim-majority Gulf state with an overwhelmingly expatriate population prides itself on its safety, stability, and religious tolerance. The Chabad Hasidic movement is known for its outreach efforts worldwide. The U.A.E. normalized relations with Israel in 2020 alongside Bahrain and Morocco in a series of U.S.-brokered agreements known as the Abraham Accords. There is no figure for the number of Jews in the U.A.E., but an Israeli official has told AFP there were about 2,000 Israelis in the Gulf country, with the Jewish community estimated to be up to twice that figure. The White House also condemned the killing on November 24. "This was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coexistence. It was an assault as well on U.A.E. and its rejection of violent extremism across the board," the White House said in a statement on November 24. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity during the conflict in Gaza are "not enough." Khamenei told a gathering of the Basij volunteer corps on November 25 that the two Israeli leaders should face the death penalty. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan issued the warrant and judges said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Netanyahu and Gallant "intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival" as part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza." Israel has called the warrants "absurd." The current war in the Gaza Strip was sparked by an attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU. Some 1,200 people died in the attack, with around 240 more taken hostage back to Gaza. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here . Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) on November 24 said three suspects have been arrested in the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in an assault that Israel called an anti-Semitic "terrorist attack." The victim, who was reported missing on November 22, was identified as Zvi Kogan, who worked in the U.A.E. for the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, which supports Jewish visitors and residents in the country. His body was found in the city of Al Ain near the Omani border, but it was not clear where he had been killed. The U.A.E. Interior Ministry did not provide further details on the suspects held in the matter. It's not clear if Benjamin Netanyahu will ever face prosecution after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. But even if he never appears before The Hague, the charges and the stigma they carry promise to dog the embattled Israeli prime minister. Netanyahu has defended himself against the charges related to Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, and Israel does not recognize the Netherlands-based court's jurisdiction. But there is no question that carrying out his duties as prime minister just became more difficult for Netanyahu. Bound By Rome Anthony Dworkin, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told RFE/RL that while Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, "there are 124 countries around the world that are." Those states now "all have a legal obligation to arrest Netanyahu" if he enters their territory, Dworkin said, and that is going to impose "far-reaching limitations on the countries that he'll be able to go to." As precedent, Dworkin pointed to the complications Russian President Vladimir Putin has encountered since the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him in March 2023 related to alleged war crimes against Ukraine. "He's had to change his travel plans pretty significantly," Dworkin said, singling out what was called a mutual decision for him not to attend the BRICS summit in South Africa in July 2023. This September, ICC member Mongolia faced immense pressure to arrest Putin upon his arrival for a visit. It failed to heed the calls, in a move that was seen as exposing the limits of the court responsible for prosecuting individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. The ICC announcement on November 21 came six months after the court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, first announced he was seeking warrants not only against Netanyahu, but against former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Muhammad Deif, a military commander of the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group Hamas whom Israel claimed in July to have killed. Deif is accused of crimes connected to Hamas's assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Netanyahu and Gallant are charged in relation to Israel's retaliatory invasion of Gaza, where more than 43,000 people have been killed, according to Palestinian officials. Rejecting Israel's challenges to the charges on November 21, the ICC announced that it was issuing warrants against all three, working from the assumption that Deif may still be alive. Depending On Cooperation The ICC has no powers to enforce its warrant accusing Netanyahu of criminal responsibility for war crimes, including starvation as a method of warfare, and crimes against humanity including "murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.” Relying on cooperation, Khan has urged all the court's member states to act on the warrants and for nonmembers to work toward "upholding international law." Among the latter would be the United States, a key Israeli ally that does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction over this matter and which "fundamentally" rejected the court's decision to issue the warrant. All European Union states are ICC members, however. Dworkin noted that "European countries have been quite divided" in responding to Israel's actions in the Palestinian enclave, most of which is in ruins after a year of relentless Israeli air and ground operations. "Some countries have been increasingly critical of Israel's actions," Dworkin said, while "other countries have tried to walk more of a middle path, criticizing some aspects but broadly supporting Israel." Now, even a vocal Israel supporter like Germany will have to weigh its support with its commitments to the rule of law. "We will see a difference in the way that countries look at him, talk about him, and so on," Dworkin said. Israel has already canceled a visit next week by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp following his assurances that the Netherlands would uphold the ICC warrants. France has said it supports ICC prosecutor Khan's actions, and Italy has said it would have to arrest Netanyahu if he arrived in the country. The Outliers At the same time, the ruling could have some unintended ramifications. Viktor Orban -- the prime minister of EU-member Hungary who is often at odds with Brussels on hot-button topics such as relations with Putin -- has already positioned itself as an outlier. On November 22, Orban accused the ICC of “interfering in an ongoing conflict for political purposes” and said that its warrant against Netanyahu undermined international law. Orban said he would defy the warrant by inviting Netanyahu to Hungary. The ICC could also face more backlash in the United States from the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has cast himself as a greater ally to Israel than outgoing President Joe Biden. Trump's nominee to serve as his national security adviser, Republican congressman Mike Waltz, on November 21 warned that "you can expect a strong response to the anti-Semitic bias of the ICC" when Trump takes office on January 20. Netanyahu's office, too, has denounced the ICC's decision to issue the warrants as "anti-Semitic," and some observers say Netanyahu could ride such sentiment to get a political boost at home. Support for Netanyahu and his right-wing government fell sharply following the October 7 attack, but has recently improved, according to opinion polls. "There's universal condemnation across the political spectrum in Israel, so it doesn't hurt him domestically at all," Khaled Elgindy, an analyst at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told RFE/RL. "Maybe [it] helps him a little bit, because people will rally around the flag." Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has invited his Israeli counterpart to visit Hungary, defying an arrest warrant for issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Benjamin Netanyahu that other European states say they will honor. Orban, speaking during his regular weekly interview with Hungarian state radio, said on November 22 that the ICC's decision a day earlier to issue the warrant accusing Netanyahu of "crimes against humanity and war crimes" committed during the war in Gaza was "outrageously brazen" and "cynical." The ICC issued similar arrest warrants for former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a Hamas military leader who Israel claims to have killed but whose death the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group has not officially acknowledged. The ICC said Netanyahu and Gallant were suspected of using "starvation as a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian aid while targeting civilians in Israel's war in Gaza -- charges Israeli officials deny. Orban said the ICC move against Netanyahu "intervenes in an ongoing conflict...dressed up as a legal decision, but in fact for political purposes." "Later today, I will invite the Israeli prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, to visit Hungary, where I will guarantee him, if he comes, that the judgment of the ICC will have no effect in Hungary, and that we will not follow its terms," he added. "There is no choice here, we have to defy this decision," Orban said. Shortly after the ICC decision was announced, the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said ICC decisions "are binding on all states party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU member states." However, the EU's most powerful members, Germany and France, on November 22 reacted with restraint to the ICC warrants. A spokesman said the German government will refrain from any moves until a visit to Germany by Netanyahu is planned. "I find it hard to imagine that we would make arrests on this basis," Steffen Hebestreit said on November 22, adding that legal questions had to be clarified about the warrant. In Paris, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine only said that France acknowledged the ICC's move and voiced its support for the ICC's independence. "France takes note of this decision. True to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice, it reiterates its attachment to the independent work of the court, in accordance with the Rome Statute," Lemoine said. Hungary, a NATO and European Union member state, has signed and ratified the 1999 document. However, it has not published the statute's associated convention and therefore argues that it is not bound to comply with ICC decisions. Netanyahu on November 22 thanked Orban for his show of "moral clarity." "Faced with the shameful weakness of those who stood by the outrageous decision against the right of the State of Israel to defend itself, Hungary" is "standing by the side of justice and truth," Netanyahu said in a statement. A right-wing nationalist in power since 2010, Orban has maintained close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has voiced opposition to the EU's sanctions imposed on Moscow after its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Orban has previously said that Hungary would not arrest Putin either, despite the ICC arrest warrant issued on the Russian leader's name for war crimes for his role in deporting Ukrainian children. Furthermore, he flew to Moscow in July immediately after Hungary took over the EU's rotating six-month presidency to meet with Putin, in defiance of the fellow members of the bloc. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Muhammad Deif, a military commander in the Iran-backed group Hamas, alleging they committed crimes against humanity in the ongoing Gaza war. All three are accused of committing war crimes connected to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, an EU- and U.S-designated terrorist organization that is part of Tehran's network of proxies in the Middle East, and Israel's subsequent military intervention in the Gaza Strip. Iran's backing of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-supported militant group and political party that controls much of the southern part of Israel's neighbor, Lebanon, has sparked fears that the war in the Gaza Strip will engulf the Middle East. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. The court said the warrants had been classified as "secret" to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of the investigations. Israel, which claims it killed Deif in July, blasted the move as "a dark moment for the ICC." Hamas, which has never officially acknowledged Deif's death, called the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant an "important step toward justice." The ICC said it had issued the arrest warrant for Deif as the prosecutor had not been able to determine whether he was dead. His warrant shows charges of mass killings during the October 7 attack on Israel that left some 1,200 dead, as well as charges of rape and the taking of around 240 hostages in the attack. "The Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both [Israeli] individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024," the ICC said in a statement . "This finding is based on the role of Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its disposal," it said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called the move against Netanyahu and Gallant "absurd" in a post on X, saying it was an attack of Israel's right to self-defense. "A dark moment for the ICC in The Hague, in which it lost all legitimacy for its existence and activity," Sa'ar said. Tehran has yet to comment publicly on the warrants. Neither the United States nor Israel have recognized the ICC's jurisdiction. A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said Washington "fundamentally rejects" the issuance of the arrest warrants and "the troubling process errors that led to this decision. Meanwhile, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a post on X that ICC decisions "are binding on all states party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU Member States." The court said Israel's acceptance of the court's jurisdiction was not required. However, the court itself has no law enforcement levers to enforce warrants and relies on cooperation from its member states. The general chief of staff of Saudi Arabia's armed forces, Fayyad al-Ruwaili, met his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Baqeri, in Tehran during a rare visit on November 10. Iran's official IRNA news agency said they discussed the development of defense diplomacy and bilateral cooperation without offering any details. Iranian media said Baqeri had discussed regional developments and defense cooperation with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud last year. Ruwaili is only the second high-profile Saudi official to travel to Tehran since Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations after seven years following Chinese-brokered talks in March 2023. Previously, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan visited Iran in June 2023. Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia severed ties with Shi'a-dominated Iran in 2016 after its diplomatic compounds in Tehran and Mashhad were attacked by protesters over Riyadh's execution of Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. The trip comes days after the election of Donald Trump, whose second term as U.S. president begins in January. He has pledged to bring peace to the Middle East, where U.S. ally Israel is engaged in wars against Iranian-backed groups in Gaza and Lebanon. Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said the timing of the trip was significant because it comes as various countries are preparing for a second Trump presidency. He said the Saudis' decision to send their top military official to Tehran "is a signal that they are committed" to the detente process that started last year and that "they don't want Trump's election to jeopardize the recently improving relations with Iran." Separately, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman on the phone and discussed expanding bilateral relations, according to Pezeshkian's office. Trump had good relations with Persian Gulf Arab states in his first tenure in office and worked on normalizing relations between Arab states and Iran's archfoe, Israel. Saudi Arabia has not normalized relations with Israel but Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is said to have discussed the possibility of normalization with Saudi Arabia since 2021. In another sign of warming relations, Saudi Arabia announced last month that it held military drills with Iran in the Sea of Oman. Israel sent several chartered planes to Amsterdam to bring back Israeli soccer fans after they were attacked following a match on November 7 by what Mayor Femke Halsema described as "anti-Semitic hit-and-run squads." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incidents "anti-Semitic attacks" as his office announced that the Israeli airlines El Al and Israir have set up special flights for free on November 8 and 9 to do the job. El Al said it was sending six planes to bring the fans home, and Israeli airport authorities said later on November 8 that the first plane had landed. Amsterdam police said that 62 people were detained following the violence, with 10 in custody on November 8 in connection with the clashes -- which left five people hospitalized -- in the center of Amsterdam between young locals and Israeli supporters who had come to watch Maccabi Tel Aviv's game against Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League competition. "This is a very dark moment for the city, for which I am deeply ashamed," Halsema told a news conference. "Anti-Semitic criminals attacked and assaulted visitors to our city, in hit-and-run actions," she said. Dutch authorities said there was no concrete threat to Israeli soccer fans before the game and that it was not clear how or precisely when the violence began. Peter Holla, the city's acting police chief, told a news conference that the Israeli fans were "willfully attacked." U.S. President Joe Biden condemned "anti-Semitic" violence against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, calling the attacks "despicable" throwbacks to dark moments in history. "The anti-Semitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam are despicable and echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted," Biden said on X. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and other world leader joined Biden in condemning the violence. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks as "vile" and said she discussed them with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof. "Outraged by last night's vile attacks targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam," von der Leyen said in a post on X. "I strongly condemn these unacceptable acts. Antisemitism has absolutely no place in Europe. And we are determined to fight all forms of hatred." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar flew to Amsterdam for impromptu meetings with the Dutch government and far-right leader Geert Wilders, and Amsterdam banned demonstrations for three days. Police said fans had left the stadium on November 7 without incident after the game was won 5-0 by Ajax, but various clashes in the city center were reported during the night. Video posted online also purported to show Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans in the streets ahead of the game. Maccabi fans are known to have used similar chants in Israel at recent matches there. Earlier, a pro-Palestinian protest against Maccabi's visit scheduled to take place near the stadium was banned by Dutch authorities for security reasons amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Anti-Israeli protests have been held in various parts of the world, including in Western Europe amid Israel's war in the Gaza Strip against Iran-backed Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and the EU, following the group's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people. The conflict has spilled outside of Gaza and into southern Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah -- designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. Schoof said he was "horrified" by the incidents. which he called "completely unacceptable." He said he told Netanyahu that those who are guilty would be "identified and prosecuted." Netanyahu told Schoof that he "views the premeditated anti-Semitic attack against Israeli citizens with the utmost seriousness and requested increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands," the Israeli prime minister's office said. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he had talked to Dutch King Willem-Alexander on the phone, who had voiced "deep horror and shock over the criminal acts committed." The Israeli Embassy in the United States said on X that "hundreds" of Maccabi fans were "ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game against Ajax." "The mob who targeted these innocent Israelis has proudly shared their violent acts on social media," the embassy said in its message accompanied by a video of violent clashes in the city. Israel also said it had banned members of its military from traveling to the Netherlands.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. Story continues below video There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA . The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racingUS President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he was nominating staunch loyalist and retired general Keith Kellogg as his Ukraine envoy, charged with ending the two-and-a-half-year Russian invasion. Trump campaigned on a platform of ushering a swift end to the Ukraine war, boasting that he would quickly mediate a ceasefire deal between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But his critics have warned that the incoming Republican will likely leverage US military aid to pressure Kyiv into an agreement that left it ceding occupied territory permanently or agreeing not to join NATO. "I am very pleased to nominate General Keith Kellogg to serve as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia," Trump said in a statement on social media. "Keith has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration." A fixture on the cable news circuit, the 80-year-old national security veteran co-wrote an academic paper earlier this year calling for Washington to leverage military aid as a means of pushing for peace talks. Ukraine has received almost $60 billion from Washington for its armed forces since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, but with the more isolationist Trump taking over the White House, supporters fear the spigot will run dry. "The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement," Kellogg's research paper for the Trumpist America First Policy Institute think tank said. "Future American military aid, however, will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia." Kellogg served in several positions during Trump's first term, including as chief of staff on the White House national security council and national security advisor to then-vice president Mike Pence. Kellogg told Voice of America at the Republican convention in July that Ukraine's options were "quite clear." "If Ukraine doesn't want to negotiate, fine, but then accept the fact that you can have enormous losses in your cities and accept the fact that you will have your children killed, accept the fact that you don't have 130,000 dead, you will have 230,000–250,000," he said. Trump's announcement came as the outgoing administration of Democrat Joe Biden was hosting a news conference to urge Ukraine to enlist more recruits by reducing the minimum age of conscription to 18. Facing a much larger enemy with more advanced weapons and with stocks of volunteers dwindling, Ukraine is facing an "existential" recruitment crunch, a senior administration official told reporters. "The simple truth is that Ukraine is not currently mobilizing or training enough soldiers to replace their battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia's growing military," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He was pressed on what Washington considers an appropriate minimum age and he replied that "we think there's real value in them considering lowering the recruiting age to 18" -- in line with the US benchmark. He added that an additional 160,000 troops would be "on the low end" to fill out Ukraine's ranks -- but "a good start." The former Soviet republic's population has fallen by more than a quarter since its mid-1990s peak of 52 million, and authorities are desperate to shield the younger generation -- but a US congressional report in June estimated the average Ukrainian soldier is 40. Zelensky signed a decree in April lowering the draft age from 27 to 25 but the move did not alleviate the chronic troop shortages, according to US officials. ft/bjtGreen-fingered gifts: Our guide to the best Christmas presents for the gardener in your life

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Vertical Blender Market Analysis By Top Keyplayers - Doyle Equipment Manufacturing, AGI, EMT, Kason, Adams Fertilizer Equipment, John R Boone, Heilig Mixing Technology, Kemutec, INDPRO Engineering Systems Pvt. Ltd., GIMAT Srl, CrustBuster/Speed King, Inc. 11-27-2024 08:52 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: Verified Market Reports The "Vertical Blender Market" is expected to reach USD xx.x billion by 2031, indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of xx.x percent from 2024 to 2031. The market was valued at USD xx.x billion In 2023. Growing Demand and Growth Potential in the Global Vertical Blender Market, 2024-2031 Verified Market Research's most recent report, "Vertical Blender Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2023-2030," provides an in-depth examination of the industry that includes insights into the market analysis. Along with competition and geographical research, the report also covers recent developments in the worldwide industry. The market for cosmetic packaging has been rising dramatically in recent years due to a variety of important factors, including rising product demand, a greater client base, and developments in technology. The market is thoroughly examined in this study, along with its size, trends, factors driving and impeding growth, competitive aspects, and potential for expansion. Download Full PDF Sample Copy of Vertical Blender Report @ https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/download-sample/?rid=233348&utm_source=Openpr&utm_medium=210 Vertical Blender Market business report has been produced with a thorough grasp of the business environment that best fits the client's needs. This market analysis can also help businesses understand sustainability initiatives and financial growth. This report's explanation of market drivers and constraints helps readers understand how many factors might affect how much demand a given product has from consumers. All of the leading companies' and brands' company profiles are included in this market analysis. In-depth research and analysis are used to appropriately elaborate on each area in order to produce an accurate Vertical Blender Market survey report. Who is the largest manufacturers of Vertical Blender Market worldwide? Doyle Equipment Manufacturing AGI EMT Kason Adams Fertilizer Equipment John R Boone Heilig Mixing Technology Kemutec INDPRO Engineering Systems Pvt. Ltd. GIMAT Srl CrustBuster/Speed King Inc. Xiecheng Machinery Vertical Blender Market Segmentation Analysis Segmentation analysis involves dividing the market into distinct groups based on certain criteria such as type and application. This helps in understanding the market dynamics, targeting specific customer groups, and devising tailored marketing strategies. Vertical Blender Market By Type Manual Electric Pneumatic Vertical Blender Market By Applications Food & Beverage Pharmaceutical Others Get Discount On The Purchase Of This Report @ https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/ask-for-discount/?rid=233348&utm_source=Openpr&utm_medium=210 Detailed TOC of Global Vertical Blender Market Research Report, 2023-2030 1. Introduction of the Vertical Blender Market ►Overview of the Market ►Scope of Report ►Assumptions 2. Executive Summary 3. Research Methodology of Verified Market Reports ►Data Minin ►Validation ►Primary Interview ►List of Data Sources 4. Vertical Blender Market Outlook ►Overview ►Market Dynamics ►Drivers ►Restraints ►Opportunities ►Porters Five Force Model ►Value Chain Analysis 5. Vertical Blender Market, By Product 6. Vertical Blender Market, By Application 7. Vertical Blender Market, By Geography ►North America ►Europe ►Asia Pacific ►Rest of the World 8. Vertical Blender Market Competitive Landscape ►Overview ►Company Market Ranking ►Key Development Strategies 9. Company Profiles 10. Appendix For More Information or Query, Visit @ https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/vertical-blender-market/ Contact us: Mr. Edwyne Fernandes US: +1 (650)-781-4080 US Toll-Free: +1 (800)-782-1768 About Us: Verified Market Reports Verified Market Reports is a leading Global Research and Consulting firm servicing over 5000+ global clients. We provide advanced analytical research solutions while offering information-enriched research studies. We also offer insights into strategic and growth analyses and data necessary to achieve corporate goals and critical revenue decisions. Our 250 Analysts and SMEs offer a high level of expertise in data collection and governance using industrial techniques to collect and analyze data on more than 25,000 high-impact and niche markets. Our analysts are trained to combine modern data collection techniques, superior research methodology, expertise, and years of collective experience to produce informative and accurate research. This release was published on openPR.

Marta’s magic helped get the Pride to Saturday’s NWSL title game against the Washington Spirit

NEW DELHI: A fresh plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the indictment of billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani who has been charged in the US for alleged bribery and fraud, saying the move "unveiled malpractices carried out by the conglomerate". The plea has been filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari as an interlocutory application in the batch of pleas in the Adani-Hindenburg row over allegations of stock price manipulation by the Indian corporate giant. The US Department of Justice has accused Adani of being part of an elaborate scheme to pay USD 265 million (about Rs 2,200 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange for favourable terms for solar power contracts in four Indian states. The Adani Group has denied the charge, saying the allegations levelled by the US prosecutors are baseless and that the conglomerate is compliant with all laws. It also vowed to pursue all possible legal recourse. In his plea before the apex court, Tiwari contended that the allegations against Adani are of "serious nature" and should be investigated by the Indian authorities. "The SEBI has to inspire confidence by concluding the investigations and placing on record the report and conclusion of the probes. As there were allegations of short selling in the SEBI investigation and the present allegations levelled by the foreign authorities might have connection or may not have, but SEBI's investigation report should clear this so that the investors may not loose confidence," the plea said.Julián Álvarez picking up the scoring pace with Atletico Madrid

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With a record number of international students in the U.S., Trump brings uncertaintyPRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) — When the referee whistled for the free kick just outside the area, Atletico Madrid forward Julián Álvarez quickly picked up the ball and moved in position to take the shot. “When I saw the free kick, I told Rodri (Rodrigo De Paul) that I felt confident with the shot,” Álvarez said. “And it was a great goal.” Álvarez, Atletico's main signing in the offseason , has not been lacking confidence lately. The Argentina forward curled in the free kick shot in the 15th minute for the first of his two goals in the team’s 6-0 rout of Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday — the team’s biggest ever away win in European competitions. “We'll keep rotating who takes the free kicks,” said Álvarez, who also found the net in the 59th. It was Álvarez’s seventh goal in the last 10 matches, and third in his last three games across all competitions. The 24-year-old had a slow start to his first season with Atletico, scoring twice in 10 matches. “It was a matter of time before we started connecting well with each other,” said Álvarez, who joined Atletico after two seasons at Manchester City. “We have to stay on this path to keep improving.” Ángel Correa also scored two goals for Atletico, with Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann adding one each. “We know that in this format of the competition we need to keep adding the three points and scoring goals," Álvarez said. "It's important to get the points and the goals.” Atletico was sitting in 13th place in the 36-team league standings. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

I bought £13,000 Bentley only to learn it was once owned by legendary TV host of classic 1980s game showCourt Order Delays Microsoft's Plans to Allow Xbox Games to Be Purchased Directly in the Xbox App on AndroidAutonation's SVP & CAO Kimberly Dees sells $76,974 in stock

Emma McKeon announces immediate retirement from swimming

Throughout history, black athletes have been at the forefront of not just sports but also social activism, challenging injustices and advocating for equality. Using their influence, they know they can strive for change in their environment. Yet, some athletes take their activism to extraordinary levels, transforming their platforms into catalysts for change by showing actions and not just saying them. Taking actions In 2016, as racial tensions in the United States reached a boiling point, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick stepped into the spotlight for his bold decision to challenge systemic injustice. After the murders of four black people that summer, Kaepernick sought to make a statement his own way. During a preseason game, while the national anthem played, he chose to remain seated. This is one of the numerous bold stances that caught the attention of many, including Kobe Bryant , a figure synonymous with leadership and influence in the NBA. Kobe, no stranger to the intersection of sports and activism, admired Kaepernick's bravery. "I think what Colin Kaepernick stood for is the epitome of doing what he believes is right," says Bryant. "Now things have been taken out of context and misconstrued; they try to bend it this way that way and miss the point of what it is—the message that she was getting across, and I think having the bravery to be able to do that is something that we should all stand for." Related: Ice Cube shares his struggles watching Larry Bird dominate: "I just couldn't understand how he was as good as he was" Creating a movement Kaep's activism did not stop at sitting during the anthem. The former star quarterback also adjusted his protest by kneeling, a gesture intended to maintain his stance against police brutality against the black race. Bryant, who spent his career navigating the challenges of being a black athlete in a predominantly white country, understood the weight of Colin's decision. "It's very hard as a black athlete; it's just to sit here and say, 'You know what? We're comfortable. We made it. We have it made. It's okay. We don't have to jump into this thing. It's too much controversy. We don't need it.' Is that the right thing to do? No, it's not," "Bean" said. Kaepernick's actions became more evident during the 2020 murder of George Floyd, and other black athletes joined the movement. Players wore T-shirts, took a knee during the anthem, and used their platforms to advocate for justice. This collective action underscored the enduring influence of Kaep's original protest. Related: "I wish there was some way legally that I could give him some of the money" - Michael Jordan wanted to help Scottie Pippen with his contract issue

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) — Jayden Brown had 17 points in Cent. Conn. St.'s 64-56 victory against Binghamton on Sunday. Brown added eight rebounds for the Blue Devils (3-3). Jordan Jones scored 15 points and added five rebounds. Davonte Sweatman shot 3 of 10 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 6 from the line to finish with 14 points. Tymu Chenery led the way for the Bearcats (2-5) with 16 points and four assists. Nehemiah Benson added 14 points and six rebounds for Binghamton. Gavin Walsh also had nine points and eight rebounds. NEXT UP Cent. Conn. St.'s next game is Sunday against UMass-Lowell at home. Binghamton squares off against Niagara on Friday. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated Press

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Darryl Simmons II scored 19 points to help Gardner-Webb defeat SE Louisiana 73-69 on Tuesday. Simmons shot 7 for 13 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line for the Runnin’ Bulldogs (3-3). Pharell Boyogueno scored 15 points while going 6 of 13 (3 for 7 from 3-point range) and added seven rebounds and four steals. Anthony Selden shot 6 of 10 from the field and 3 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 15 points. Jeremy Elyzee led the Lions (2-4) in scoring, finishing with 22 points, three steals and two blocks. Sam Hines Jr. added 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. Jakevion Buckley finished with 11 points, four assists and three steals. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .