Key players in Syria’s long-running civil war, reignited by a shock rebel offensive

Intense clashes in Syria as rebels advance on Aleppo, key players include Russia, Iran, U.S., and insurgent groups.

Syria’s long civil war has reclaimed global attention after insurgents seized most of its largest city and dozens of nearby towns and villages.

The stunning advance on Aleppo by rebel forces came as several key players in the conflict have been distracted or weakened, triggering the heaviest clashes since a 2020 ceasefire brought relative calm to the country’s north.

Russian and Syrian forces have carried out dozens of airstrikes to try to limit the insurgents’ advances, inflicting heavy casualties.

Syria’s civil war started in 2011 after an uprising against President Bashar Assad’s rule. Five foreign powers have a military presence in the country including the U.S., Russia and Iran. Forces opposed to Assad, along with U.S.-backed fighters, control more than a third of the country. Israel holds the Golan Heights, which it seized in its 1967 war with its Arab neighbours.

Syrian government troops have long controlled a large part of the country, thanks to allied forces dispatched by Russia and Iran.

Assad’s forces control most of the major population centres, including the capital Damascus and cities in Syria’s centre, south and east.

The Syrian government’s capture of Aleppo in late 2016 was a turning point in the conflict and their loss of the city in recent days is a major setback.