Official mourning was declared today in Damascus where residents expressed fears regarding the possible consequences of the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, an ally of the Syrian government, while residents of rebel-held areas of Syria express their joy.
Thanks to the support of his allies, Russia and Iran, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been able to regain control of most of Syria’s territory, devastated and divided by the civil war since 2011.
The announcement of President Raisi’s death was a “shock,” said 29-year-old Nizar Jamoul, who was sitting with friends in a cafe in central Damascus and said he was constantly watching the news.
And other residents of the Syrian capital are watching on their mobile phones and televisions the news of the death of President Raishi and high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic in a helicopter crash early Sunday followingnoon in Iran.
“What happens in Iran will definitely have consequences in Syria, because of the historic and close alliance between the two countries,” said Asi Salhoub, a 40-year-old computer technician who lives not far from the Iranian consulate that was destroyed in early April by a death blow delivered to Israel.
Authorities declared three days of mourning and President Assad paid tribute to his Iranian counterpart, saying he “worked with him so that the strategic relations that unite Syria and Iran continue to prosper.”
“Unlimited Joy”
“Tehran is our main supporter, and anything bad that can happen to it will affect us,” Asi Salhoub said.
Hazar Mazhar, a 49-year-old mother, states that she is “scared of the economic consequences as we are heavily dependent on Iran to supply hydrocarbons for example. I hope that (Raishi’s death) will not affect our livelihood.”
In the last major rebel stronghold of Idlib, where almost half the population consists of displaced people, residents do not hide their joy.
Raisi’s death is “a great joy for the residents of Idlib and the displaced,” says Maher Buland, who sells sweets to passers-by in the city’s Dana market.
“The Iranians participated in the bloodshed of the Syrians, they killed children, destroyed houses and pushed families out,” adds the 40-year-old man who was forced to flee the city of Aleppo, which was recaptured by government forces.
“Our joy is boundless today … following the death of the Iranian criminals,” said Khaled Hassan al-Sheikh, a 62-year-old displaced father of seven, who lives in a tent.
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